Speeding drivers put others at risk, especially when there are pedestrians in school areas, on residential streets, or in work zones. In these areas and more, well-designed radar speed displays are highly effective in getting drivers to slow down.
These traffic control devices, also known as driver input signs, monitor the speed of oncoming vehicles and display the speed of the driver by blinking bright LED digits. The display is paired with a static sign, which makes it easy for drivers to recognize and respond to the intended message at a glance by slowing down.
With speed monitoring signs, several municipalities are finding success, as they embrace broader traffic calming projects and walkability initiatives.
Instant Feedback
Radar speed signs often display the current speed of an approaching motorist, unlike traditional street signs that only post the speed limit. These signs ignite what psychologists term a feedback loop by offering those feedback.
The basic concept of a feedback loop is this: if people are given feedback about their acts, people are more likely to improve their behavior, followed by an incentive to modify those acts. Action, data, and then answer.
Sounds straightforward enough, but don’t let you be fooled by the simplicity. In changing actions, feedback loops are highly efficient because the human brain is hardwired to respond to them. They are our brains’ primary means of learning.
Personalized Feedback
They provide us with real-time, customized data on how our driving compares to the speed limit posted. Such feedback is particularly important because individuals continually overestimate their driving abilities and underestimate how quick they are.
Resist to Habitude
The more complex and continuously evolving something is in our world, the more we are likely to recognize it. That’s where the signs for radar speed come in. They flash a new piece of data each time we transfer them.
In our otherwise static routine, their input is a constantly evolving stimulus, which suggests that we are less able to get used to them. As a consequence, our brains are more likely to take their alarm into account and change our actions accordingly.
Reduce Distracted Driving
One of the main risks we face on the road is distracted driving, which accounts for 25 percent of all crash deaths in motor vehicles. In 2015 alone, 3,477 deaths and 391,000 injuries resulted from distracted driving or speeding.
This increase in crashes due to distracted driving has prompted analysts to call it “the new drunk driving.” We have all witnessed distracted driving. You know what it feels like if you ever pulled into your driveway after a hard day of work and were so deep in thought that you don’t recall the drive home. The truth is that drivers have never had to deal with so many distractions before in human history.
The list goes on and on: mobile phones, text messages, eating on the go, billboards, podcasts, audio and climate control. With all of this, it’s no wonder that we often lose track of the reading of our speedometer. What radar speed signs do is snap our attention back to the road effectively. Catching our own flickering mph draws our attention to our own velocity immediately.
Feature photo by JEShoots
