Traffic Safety
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Traffic Safety |
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Departments >Traffic Safety > Safety Articles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Traffic
& Pedestrian Safety News Articles Concerns Over Speeding Vehicles in Residential Areas Apple Valley residents have contacted the City on occasion with concerns over the speed of vehicles in their residential areas. Generally, they feel vehicles are traveling too fast on a specific street. The Apple Valley Public Works or Police Departments will respond and investigate in most cases. The Public Works Department may set traffic counters to measure both speed and volume. The Police Department may use speed detectors, such as radar, and monitor speeds. Police will issue citations to violators who are noticed during the monitoring. Occasionally, the monitoring will find that speeds are actually quite low and below the speed limit. On other occasions, frequent violations and higher speeds are found. Generally, though, most motorists seem to adhere closely to the 30 mph speed limit on residential streets with only occasional violators significantly above the posted limit. Apple Valley and other nearby communities have been concerned over speeds and speed control for many years. Enforcement is often cited as the most effective method of obtaining compliance. Unfortunately, speed enforcement is only one of the many duties of the Police Department, and the time that can be devoted to speed enforcement is limited. The Public Works Department has installed different types of signs, with some being more effective than others. Studies have shown little lasting impact of signing changes in most instances. Drivers familiar with the road often ignore signs and drive according to their "feel for the road." In most residential areas, almost all traffic consists of motorists who are familiar with the street. Studies in many communities, including Apple Valley, have shown that speeders on a residential street are often people who live on the same street or in nearby neighborhoods. Most speeders on Apple Valley residential streets are Apple Valley residents. This means that we as a community can have a significant impact on a concern to many of our residents. The next time you are traveling down a residential street in Apple Valley, or any community, glance down at your speedometer. You may be surprised to find that you are exceeding the speed limit. Slow down to the limit or even to a few mph below the speed limit. The speed limit is a maximum speed and should be achieved only under ideal conditions. By traveling slower than the speed limit and thinking about the road, you will better be able to anticipate and react to unexpected events like children or animals running into the street. This slightly slower speed might cost you a few seconds in your travel time but will hardly be noticeable over the course of your trip, and the safety of our residents is well worth it. Content updated on: 03-May-2004
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