Speed humps are raised sections of pavement installed across the roadway at regular intervals.
They are designed to encourage drivers to slow down over longer sections of neighborhood streets.
Unlike raised crosswalks, speed humps are intended primarily for speed management rather than pedestrian crossings. They are typically installed in a series to create consistent, slower travel speeds along an entire corridor.
Speed Humps
1 Ramps include “v”-shaped markings.
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1 Issues Addressed
Speed-related crash patterns
Vehicle speeding
Common Selection Criteria
Speed humps are considered where one or more of the following conditions exist:
There is a documented history of speed-related crashes or repeated reported near-misses involving excessive vehicle speeds.
Vehicle speeding has been identified as a recurring issue along a longer section of neighborhood street, generally one-quarter mile or longer. The desired outcome is to reduce vehicle speeds along an entire street segment rather than at a single location.
The roadway is not intended to accommodate frequent transit service or high volumes of heavy vehicles.
Speed humps are most effective when installed as a series at regular spacing along a corridor. Where speeding is limited to a single location, consider other traffic calming measures such as a raised crosswalk, chicane, or pinch point.
Site Requirements
The following are general planning-level guidelines. Formal design requirements are provided in the City of Santa Monica’s Speed Hump Standard Plan.
There is at least 22 feet of uninterrupted roadway between driveways to accommodate the speed hump.
The roadway grade is generally 8 percent or less.
The roadway alignment provides adequate visibility for approaching drivers. Speed humps are located at least 100 feet from an intersection.
Speed humps should generally be spaced at regular intervals no more than 500 feet apart to provide consistent speed reduction along the corridor. Isolated speed humps are less effective and may result in uneven driver behavior between treatments.
Complementary Treatments
Lane narrowing
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