70% Speed Reduction in Speeding with Evolution Radar Signs
The City
The Challenge
The city doesn’t employ a full-time police department. The RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) patrols the area along with other neighboring cities. Police presence to prevent speeding outside Melville’s schools was not a realistic approach. But they wanted a way to enforce posted speed limits and protect their students from the dangers of speeding cars. The goal was to find a way to slow cars down while also pinpointing problem areas so that police could provide enforcement exactly when and where it was needed.
The Solution
The SafePace Evolution 15 is a driver activated radar sign with large 15” LED digits. A message displaying “Slow Down” is activated by drivers who speed. The sign offers a great visual reminder to drivers to notice their speeds and observe the speed limit. For most drivers, that’s enough. But drivers who continue to speed activate both the “Slow Down” message as well as a flashing strobe to alert them.
“Reports are one of the best parts for us,” said Jeremy Fairbarn, Melville’s Public Works Manager. “I can run multiple reports on speeds and volume and we can share them with RCMP for better enforcement and share them with City Council for better planning.”
The Benefits
The city is using the SafePace Cloud to run reports and manage the signs right from their desks.
“The cloud works very, very well,” said Mr. Fairburn. “We get all the data we need to take action when we need to and I can run reports right as I sit in my office.”
The city notified the community prior to the installation and received unanimously positive feedback. The schools are excited about the enhanced safety for students. And parents are thrilled that their children’s welfare is being seriously addressed with solutions to prevent speeding and crashes.
“The signs have really been well received,” Mr. Fairburn noted. “The community has really been on board.”
