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

  • Hard shoulder running aids uniform traffic flow and safer driving
    January 23, 2012
    David Crawford detects a market for European experience. Well-established now in at least three European countries, Hard Shoulder Running (HSR) on motorways is exciting growing interest in the US. A November 2010 Report to Congress by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), on the Efficient Use of Highway Capacity, notes the role of HSR in the European-style Active Traffic Management (ATM) strategies now being recommended for implementation in the US where, until recently, they were virtually unknown.
  • Trials show fuel savings with connected vehicle technology
    December 16, 2015
    American and European trials point to fuel and emissions reductions. A trial by University of California-Riverside (UC-Riverside) has shown connected vehicle technology has the potential to reduce fuel consumption (and therefore emissions) by up to 18% compared with an uninformed driver.
  • How WiM helps authorities identify repeat offenders
    May 31, 2023
    Company profiling – the process of identifying repeat corporate offenders when it comes to things like truck overloading – is one of many uses of WiM. And it may become more important
  • Integrate systems to reduce roadside infrastructure
    January 27, 2012
    David Crawford reviews promising current developments. Instrumentation of the road infrastructure has grown to become one of the most dynamic sectors of the ITS industry. Drivers for its deployment include global concerns over the commercial and environmental pressures of traffic congestion, the importance of keeping drivers informed throughout their journeys, and the need to reduce accident rates and promote the safety of all road users, for example by enforcing traffic safety rules.