schoolyards only serves to augment the hazards to school bus drivers and to students loading or unloading those bus- es as well as to those who bike or walk. “It is estimated that half of school children hit by cars in
school zones are actually hit by parents of students at the same school,” said Cole. “Te use of radar speed signs is proving to be one of the most valuable tools available for increasing the safe- ty of those children that walk or ride their bicycle to school.” A 2007 survey of traffic engineers and safety
professionals found that radar speed signs were consistently ranked the number one solution of choice for slowing traffic around school zones and neighborhood streets. Te survey, commissioned by Information Display Company, a leading manu- facturer of traffic-calming technologies, found that nearly 97 percent of respondents agreed or strong- ly agreed that speedcheck signs were effective in this regard. Tis compares to only 33.3 percent or less that felt similarly about speedbumps and other traffic-calming solutions. “Over the last several years, a growing body of evidence has emerged that confirms the ef-
fectiveness of radar speed signs and we’ve seen a correlating growth in their adoption and use,” said Gary O’Dell, president of Informa- tion Display Company. In 2005, the city of Mount Vernon, Wash.,
purchased its first two speedcheck signs from Information Display Company. Both were mounted on mobile trailers so that they could be moved and used at various school sites throughout the city’s jurisdic- tion. After their effectiveness was proven, the city replaced the mobile displays with permanently mounted signs. Over the next two years, Mount Vernon purchased and installed several more radar speedcheck signs, bringing the total number currently in use to fourteen. “Te city felt that a large percentage of motorists had become numb to the typical black on yellow school zone signs we had used for years,” said Dean Gilbert, public works in- spector for Mount Vernon. “We replaced them with radar speed signs that have a more visible display. We also installed amber LED lights above the speed limit
displays that flash when approach- ing cars exceed the limit.” ■
John Dixon is a freelance technology writer based out of Portland, Oregon.
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