Both speed bumps and speed humps use a vertical rise in the road surface to encourage speed reduction. However, they differ in the speeds they permit, and therefore in the places where they are suitable. That means that each one is suitable for a different purpose.

At Roadway Services Australia, we install both the permanent and removable versions. However, we recommend permanent asphalt speed humps to most of our customers. There are two main reasons—durability and cost.

With a background in traffic control, Roadway Services Australia have a wealth of experience with difficult traffic zones. We provide not only expert speed hump installation, but also help and advice on placement, planning and design!

Because asphalt provides a more durable installation at a lower cost, it’s a great budget-friendly choice for most applications.

While they may seem interchangeable, speed humps and speed bumps are different devices with different uses. Installing the wrong device for your area could counteract the desired effect, or even create a hazard. Therefore, it’s important to understand the difference between the two.

A speed hump covers a longer section of road, sometimes as much as a full wheel rotation. This makes a speed hump a less aggressive obstacle than a speed bump. In other words, a speed hump permits faster travel, while still discouraging excessive speed. Speed humps suit to places like residential roads, with speed limits typically between 30-50km/h. Examples on private property include educational campuses and caravan parks.

Speed humps and speed bumps are commonly used in Australia to encourage slower traffic through occupied areas. This is especially important in areas of shared vehicle pedestrian usage, where a low speed limit is critical to maintaining public safety.

Because speed tables are sufficiently large, they can accommodate a pedestrian crossing within the middle section. The idea of combining speed tables with pedestrian crossings is becoming more popular. These raised pedestrian crossings have been given the name of ‘wombat crossings’. Studies have shown that ‘wombat crossings’ are considerably safer than ordinary pedestrian crossings. To read about the better safety record of these crossings, please see ‘Wombat crossings’ reduce pedestrian casualties by 63 per cent, says new study that appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald recently.

In general, removable speed humps are designed for quick installation and easy removal, rather than longevity. Compared to removable speed bumps, asphalt lasts longer and is better at standing up to harsh Aussie conditions. Some high-quality removable speed humps will last for ages, but you will find that these exist in a different price range to asphalt!

A speed bump covers only a short distance of road surface, making it a sharp obstacle for speeding vehicles. Drivers must slow down almost to a stop to safely traverse a speed bump; travelling over the bump at normal speed can easily cause vehicle damage. This drastic speed reduction makes speed bumps suitable only for very low-speed areas, with speed limits around 15km/h or lower. Common examples of speed bump usage include car parks and driveways.

A speed table occupies about 4-meters in length of the road. It’s similar to a speed hump, but features an extended middle section that is flat. Typically a speed table comprises an onset ramp of approximately 1 meter, followed by a flat middle or table section spanning about 2 meters, and then an offset ramp of another meter. The table in the middle section is approximately the distance between the front and rear wheels of a standard car.

You can’t go wrong when you entrust your traffic calming needs to Roadway Services Australia. So give us a call on 0448 153 694 today!

Roadway Services Australia specialises in quality asphalt traffic calming installations. We create speed bumps, speed humps and other traffic calming devices in a variety of locations such as: