Applications

Studies show that radar speed display signs have a major impact on vehicles traveling above the speed limit. While the presence of a radar speed display sign may cause a reduction in the average speed of just a few miles per hour (typically 5 to 8 mph), this small change represents a substantial reduction in the risk of serious injury or death. The pink chart shows that slower-moving vehicles are far less likely to be involved in pedestrian accidents.

• An alert and skilled driver traveling 20 MPH who spots a child in the road 50 feet ahead will be able to come to a full stop within that distance.
• The same driver traveling 30 MPH will not even begin to slow down before hitting the child.

Driving speeds dramatically affect fatalities in pedestrian accidents. The critical speed range for achieving a reduction in injury and death is the same speed range typically seen in school and pedestrian zones, as seen in the blue chart:

• Reducing vehicle-pedestrian crash speed from 30 MPH to 20 MPH decreases the likelihood of death from 45% to 5%.
• Even if the accident is not prevented, the risk of death or serious injury is dramatically reduced by reducing the speed at which a vehicle-pedestrian accident occurs.

Calming traffic. Saving lives.

By dramatically reducing the speed of the worst offenders, permanently installed SpeedCheck radar speed displays operating 24/7 can very well mean the difference between life and death.

School Zones and Safe Routes to School

As we become increasingly concerned about the declining health of our children, the worsening of traffic congestion, and the condition of our environment, communities across the country are working together to encourage students to walk and bike to school. With so much at stake, it's not surprising that much attention is being focused on preventing vehicle-pedestrian accidents where children are present.

In August 2005, federal transportation legislation allocated $612 million from 2005 through 2009 to fund National Safe Routes to School (SRTS.) These funds are available to you to help you improve safety and reduce traffic near primary and middle schools.

As a member of the National Partnership for Safe Routes to School, Information Display Company wants to make sure you are aware of funding and other resources available for starting and implementing your own SRTS program.

Below is a summary of the charter for the National Safe Routes to School organization. This is a great place to start to learn more about the programs and funding available. The following links will help you get started:

http://www.saferoutesinfo.org/

Community leaders, parents and schools across the U.S. are using Safe Routes to School programs to encourage and enable more children to safely walk and bike to school. The National Center for Safe Routes to School aims to assist these communities in developing successful Safe Routes programs and strategies. The Center offers a centralized resource of information on how to start and sustain a Safe Routes to School program, case studies of successful programs as well as many other resources for training and technical assistance.

http://www.saferoutesinfo.org/legislation_funding

Safe Routes to School (SRTS) programs aim to make walking and bicycling to school a safe and appealing form of transportation. Federal legislation and funding currently exist to support SRTS efforts, but these funds alone cannot meet all the needs of communities across the United States. Most programs can benefit from a mixture of local, state, federal, and private funding.

SpeedCheck and Safe Routes to School

As we encourage more children to walk and ride bikes to school, we must be proactive about slowing down speeders. Permanently installed radar speed displays make the most sense in school zones and Safe Routes to School. With the highest risk, school zones require the greatest effort in preventing vehicle-pedestrian crashes.

Studies show that driver feedback displays are more effective than other traffic calming measures. Permanently installed SpeedCheck displays will substantially slow down drivers and increase student safety.

Speed displays ― Simple as a, b, c

• Immediate and Ongoing Results – Significantly reduces the likelihood of a vehicle-pedestrian accident - typical school zone speed reductions of 5-7 mph.
• SRTS Funding for More Schools – SpeedCheck displays are a lower-cost, lower-maintenance alternative to sidewalks, traffic lights or speed bumps, allowing you to stretch your SRTS funding.
• Measure the successes for your SRTS programs – Our TrafficAnalyzer™ collects date, time, and speed for each vehicle with integrated reports and access to the raw data. With data in hand you can easily measure your program results and direct targeted police enforcement for excessive speeding areas

SpeedCheck display ― It adds up

• The major factor in determining the effectiveness of one speed display sign over another is visibility. SpeedCheck displays use UltraClear™ technology, making them dramatically more visible than speed displays from any other manufacturer.
• Our displays also employ exclusive SafetyMask™ technology. The SafetyMask helps to keep drivers' attention focused on the road ahead―critically important in school zones.
• Our SpeedCheck radar displays operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, delivering instant results and maintaining traffic calming year after year.

Neighborhoods & Pedestrian Zones

To avoid congestion on already overcrowded freeways and expressways, commuters are often rerouting through neighborhood streets. These drivers may not be aware of pedestrian traffic or playgrounds, focused solely on getting to their office or other destination on time.

As commuter traffic shifts, so does activity in the neighborhood. Children no longer walk to school or play in the front yard, and family walks are taken in areas out of the neighborhood if at all. And as neighborhood traffic increases, so does the need for traffic calming measures.

Calming traffic. Saving neighborhoods.

Information Display Company offers three types of SpeedCheck radar displays to slow speeders in your neighborhood. Once in place, each display is on duty for you 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

• Portable displays can be moved to calm traffic whenever and wherever needed.
• Semi-permanent displays, mounted with QuickChange brackets, can be in place as long as needed.
• Permanent displays are recommended in areas where speeding is a constant concern.

Tips for Neighborhood Associations and Gated Communities

To assist in securing funding in your neighborhood, you will want to consider collecting data demonstrating the effectiveness of a radar speed display in your trouble spots. The most valuable data will compare speeds before and after a radar speed display is placed.

• Often the city has a traffic-calming department, usually within the Police Department or in Public Works. If they have road tubes that count traffic and gather speed data, they may offer to place them across your street to help you gather your data.
• If you use a radar speed display to collect the before data, it is best to cover the display so you are getting an accurate before picture.
• If your local police department has a portable or trailer-mounted speed display, ask them to set it up in your neighborhood for a period of time, during which you can assess its effectiveness.

Once you have the results, the moderate cost of a permanently-installed SpeedCheck display often makes it a logical and attractive solution to a growing concern.

Typical there may be funding available through your city, county or state department of transportation for safety initiatives. Typically, these agencies favor community involvement and may offer matched funds or programs to address your speeding concerns.

Rural Roadways

There is a critical need to reduce fatalities on rural roads, which account for almost two-thirds of the 43,000 roadway fatalities in the United States. Safety improvements are needed on all rural roads.

The Federal Highway administration has, as part of SAFTEA-LU, allocated $360 million to address high-risk rural roads. This program known as HRRRP, allocates funds for each state. To qualify, the state must first submit a Strategic Highway Safety Plan. Click below to start looking into HRRRP funding.

http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/safetealu/hrrrpmemo.htm
http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/speed_manage/facts.htm
http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/safetealu/factsheet1401hrrr.htm

Calming traffic. Reducing crashes.

Speed continues to be one of the major killers, contributing to numerous crashes involving serious injury, and increasing the severity of crashes caused by other factors. SpeedCheck radar speed displays are proven effective in reducing crashes and slowing down drivers on rural roadways.

SpeedCheck permanent radar speed displays are used for safety improvements on rural roadways, for example on:

• curved highways
• two-lane collectors leading into towns and cities
• county roadways leading to school zones
• recreational areas

SpeedCheck driver feedback displays also grab the attention of drivers who are speeding in these dangerous roadways. As a stand-alone solution, our 18-inch digit displays consistently produce instant results, and continue to be highly effective over time.

SpeedCheck radar speed displays are often used in conjunction with other safety improvements such as targeted enforcement, flashers, rumble strips, chevrons and curve warning signs.

The West's famous Highway 101 which passes through the giant redwoods of Northern California is notorious for congestion and treacherous curves. The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has increased safety along this very popular route, using SpeedCheck's 18-inch displays as one component of a comprehensive traffic calming program.

Another notorious stretch of roadway in the Caltrans jurisdiction is 25.5 mile section of State Route 12 running from I-80 to the Sacramento River. The numbers tell the story:

• 1,300 accidents from 2000 to 2006
• 51% were rear-end collisions
• 14 of the 18 head-on collisions were fatal
• 92% of the accidents resulted in injury or fatality

Caltrans chose our SpeedCheck solar-powered driver feedback radar displays as one of the tools for reducing accidents, injuries and fatalities on this perilous stretch of roadway. See the following links for more information:

County Sheriffs education flyer

Police and Targeted Enforcement

Drivers slow down instantly and long-term with our radar speed display. Increase the focus on speeders with targeted police enforcement. Given limited police resources and limited funding our SpeedCheck TrafficAnalyzer is ideal to pinpoint speeding drivers during specific hours and days.

Calming traffic. Increasing awareness.

To avoid congestion on already overcrowded freeways and expressways, commuters are often rerouting through neighborhood and pedestrian zones. Often the police or sheriff will deploy a SpeedCheck Trailer mounted radar speed display or our trunk-mount for traffic calming in these heavily traveled areas. They then follow up periodically with enforcement ticketing speeders. Periodically, repeating this process helps remind speeding drivers.

SpeedCheck on Duty 24/7.

SpeedCheck Portable displays provide traffic calming whenever and wherever the need arises, effectively reminding drivers to slow to a safe speed. Studies show that compliance continues even after the radar speed sign has moved on to protect another location.

Our Trailer-mounted displays can run for multiple weeks without recharging, and it is resistant to vandalism and theft. Trailers are typically left unattended in one neighborhood for a few days then towed to the next problem area.

SpeedCheck™ portable displays are very practical for day-to-day use. Typically used for short-term needs. Portable displays are either trunk-mount runs on the vehicle battery or stand-mount runs a deep cycle 24 battery and are:

• Hassle Free – The portable units can easily fit in the trunk of a car and are installed within minutes. The one-piece, display is lightweight at 30 lbs. making it easy to set up and take down.
• Very Cost Effective – You can purchase two portable displays for the cost of one SpeedCheck trailer-mounted display.
• With up to 7 Days of Operation – you have enough power for up to a week of daily operation.

Calming traffic. Increasing safety.

In Northern California, the highway patrol uses Trailer-mounted displays to remind freeway drivers to slow down. They deploy the trailers initially without enforcement.

Then a week or so later they place them with police enforcement a mile or two down the road. This is quite effective. The message is clear – the speeding violation is expected. The driver was told with the Driver Feedback display they were speeding and continued to speed. Repeating this process periodically keeps the traffic traveling at safer speeds.

Work Zones

Roadway work zones are necessary and they are not going away. The risk to workers and drivers continues to rise with increased congestion, and distracted drivers. The Federal Highway Administration puts it in perspective with the following work zone safety facts and statistics:

• Between 2001 and 2005, the number of persons killed in work zone crashes rose to an average of 1068 fatalities a year.
• 85% of those killed in a work zone were drivers or occupants.
• More than 40,000 people are injured each year in work zone crashes.

Calming traffic. Protecting workers.

SpeedCheck driver feedback displays help create a safer work zone when used in conjunction with construction speed signs and "Fines Double" signs. Our 18-inch portable or trailer-mounted radars displays are extremely visible and effective at sending a strong message to slow down. A portable radar speed sign is an ideal solution for work sites that will be in operation for a few hours or days. The SpeedCheck portable radar speed display fits easily in a vehicle's trunk or in the back of a maintenance truck. The display can run 5 to 7 days on a single battery charge, or can be powered from a vehicle's accessory outlet. The portable display can be set up in less than a minute on a stand-mount or mounted to a trunk. You will start seeing results right away.

Portable Radar Speed Displays―Quick Set Up for Short Term Work Sites

Worker safety is a priority for the Portland Oregon Water Bureau, which each day dispatches many of its 500 employees to repair and maintain the city's drinking water system. “One of our greatest assets is our employees. Accidents are expensive both in direct and indirect costs,” says Eric Fullan, safety manager for the bureau. Since the bureau has added the signs to its safety equipment arsenal, crews and other city departments have noticed changes in drivers' behavior. “We've seen a significant reduction in traffic speed when the signs are used,” Fullan says. “Our colleagues with the Portland Parks and Recreation Department were impressed too, and asked us to loan them the signs. We're always looking for new and innovative ways to promote worker safety.”

Rugged trailer mounted radar speed signs – perfect for long-term work zones

Our SpeedCheck Trailer-mounted radar display is perfect for longer-term work sites. The trailer-mounted display can operate for three to six weeks without recharging and provides for 365 day 24/7 operation without ever plugging in. Designed to deter vandalism and theft, it can be left unattended for weeks or even months.

Industrial, Commercial & Business Campuses

The number of industrial uses for SpeedCheck's radar speed displays continues to grow, and includes a wide array of applications, such as:

• Forklift speed management in warehouses such as West Linn Paper and Lawrence Livermore National Labs Nuclear Waste Control center
• Alerting truck drivers of their speed in weighing, mining and oil refinery operations
• Railways keep trains moving at the right speed when changing tracks
• Reminding bus drivers at the transportation centers to keep under 5 mph

What they all have in common is reducing risk, injury, accidents or property loss due to drivers operating at unsafe speeds.

SpeedCheck Portable Stand-mount displays are easy to set up and move around the warehouse. This tends to be the best solution around forklifts. The problem with forklifts is the drivers have no idea how fast they are driving and our SpeedCheck displays are ideal for keeping them driving at safe speeds.

Most of our industrial customers tend to install permanent pole-mounted radar displays at their facilities. This gives the best protection for the radar speed display and is a constant reminder to the drivers of their speed.

Calming traffic. Reducing risks and injuries.

SpeedCheck driver feedback 15-inch permanent display ―the Perfect Solution for Campus Use

Academic, hospital, and business campuses have pedestrians moving between buildings throughout the day. Increasingly, these companies and institutions are finding that radar speed signs strategically placed on roads around the campus enhance safety by keeping speeds in check.

Some our manufacturing customers have deployed our Portable-mount displays in parking lots to address speeding concerns during shift changes.

Our pole mounted radar speed signs are ideal for use on academic and business campuses where slowing traffic is a constant concern.