Speed Cushions

About Speed Cushions

Speed cushions are an effective traffic calming method similar to speed bumps and speed tables; they are designed to reduce the speed of passing vehicles, especially in speed-sensitive areas like residential neighbourhoods and school zones. Speed cushions are designed to be longer and flatter than your traditional speed bump, whilst not occupying the entire width of a road. This reduces vehicle speeds in a more controlled, gradual way, whilst causing less wear (and eventual damage) to the vehicle. For this reason, speed cushions are usually installed in multiple instances along a road, and are always paired with other traffic calming measures to optimise vehicle and pedestrian safety. 

The unique design of speed cushions means that they are wide enough to slow down cars but narrow enough to let large vehicles like school buses and emergency vehicles pass over them without significantly affecting them. This feature is a huge advantage, making speed cushions a perfect choice for areas where access for larger vehicles is important, but the speed of smaller vehicles must be managed.

Like traditional speed bumps, speed cushions are often modular units that are bolted or stuck onto the road surface, allowing for easy installation and maintenance. These bolt-down speed cushions are usually made from softer, durable materials like rubber or recycled plastics that can be easily installed but don't damage the vehicles using them. This also gives the other benefit of being removable if road maintenance is needed, or if they are no longer needed. Concrete and asphalt versions also exist, too, but expensive, lengthy groundworks must be undertaken to install them.