Skip to main content

Butte County gets high tech ''speed trailer''

Inattentive motorists in California’s Butte County will soon be reminded that they are going too fast now that the Sheriff's department has taken delivery of its first self-contained radar speed sign, purchased with a grant from the South Dakota Department of Public Safety. The signs have been proved to be effective in reminding people that they are speeding when they are not paying attention to their rate of travel. Butte County Deputy Brunner explained that the idea of the speed board is to remind drivers
July 2, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
Inattentive motorists in California’s Butte County will soon be reminded that they are going too fast now that the Sheriff's department has taken delivery of its first self-contained radar speed sign, purchased with a grant from the South Dakota Department of Public Safety.

The signs have been proved to be effective in reminding people that they are speeding when they are not paying attention to their rate of travel. Butte County Deputy Brunner explained that the idea of the speed board is to remind drivers of the speed limit. The sign flashes the speed, and if the vehicle is driving too fast, the sign flashes, ‘Slow Down’. He said the sign was attached to a speed trailer that can easily be moved to different locations.

"The trailer will be moved to areas where we have speed issues," Brunner went on, "This is just a friendly reminder and a warning to inattentive motorists, at least at this point. This is not your everyday street sign.”

The innovative speed trailer also comes equipped with an on board computer that keeps track of the average speed of the vehicles and the number of cars it scans. This information gives the officers the information they need to establish traffic patterns, in order to identify the best time of day to be in the vicinity to enforce the speed limit.

Related Content

  • Reducing injuries and deaths in US workzones shouldn’t be this complicated
    April 17, 2023
    In National Work Zone Awareness Week, surely the least we can do is to help get road workers home safely at the end of the day, says One.network's boss
  • Arizona DOT to test prototype wrong-way vehicle detection system
    November 25, 2015
    After a comprehensive study of wrong-way driving crashes on state highways and how technology may help reduce the threat, the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) is planning a prototype project to use existing highway sensors to detect wrong-way vehicles and alert authorities and other motorists. ADOT director John Halikowski said the study sets the stage for the agency to develop and test a unique and innovative system to detect and track wrong-way drivers, improving opportunities for law enforceme
  • With C-ITS we can get ourselves connected
    June 27, 2025
    Workzones need to be safer for drivers and workers – and the technology exists to harmonise safety with mobility needs, says Swarco’s Daniel Lenczowski
  • Active traffic management - challenges and benefits
    April 12, 2013
    Minnesota DoT has built one of the most intensive Active Traffic Management (ATM) systems on the road today. Like many ITS deployments, the state has gained benefits but also faces many challenges, as Pete Goldin reports. Smart Lanes is the brand name of Minnesota Department of Transportation’s (MnDoT) ATM system on I-35W in the Twin Cities Metro Area. The original system covered 16 miles of I-35W south of Minneapolis starting in 2009, and was extended by two miles in 2011. Additional ATM equipment was inst