Signs are essential, but they’re not enough. That’s the reality that councils, property managers, and residents are starting to accept, often after an incident has occurred. Passive signage, such as “10 KM/H” or “Children at Play,” might tick a compliance box, but it doesn’t stop drivers from speeding, cutting corners, or ignoring shared zones entirely.
Let’s explore why traditional signs often fall short and why physical devices like speed humps and rumble strips are the most reliable means of reducing speeds and enhancing road safety, especially on local and private roads where pedestrians and vehicles often meet.
Ask any road safety officer, and they’ll tell you the same thing: signs help, but only up to a point. They’re passive. They rely on drivers seeing them, interpreting them, and choosing to act.
And that’s the problem.
Drivers often become desensitised to signs, especially in environments where they’re overused or poorly placed. Trees, poor lighting, or parked vehicles can block visibility. And without any physical or legal consequence, most drivers ignore them.
The bottom line is this: signs ask drivers to slow down. Physical devices make them.
Real-World Compliance? It’s Not Good
Let’s look at the numbers.
At one residential complex in Queensland, vehicles were routinely speeding through a signed 10 km/h zone. After installing low-profile flat-top rubber speed humps, speeds dropped by half, almost overnight. Before the installation, management received weekly complaints from residents. Afterwards, complaints stopped completely.
That’s not a fluke. It’s a pattern we’ve seen play out again and again.
Signs alone are ignored. But introduce a rumble bar or hump, and suddenly the behaviour changes. It’s not magic, it’s physics.
Most local roads weren’t designed for heavy traffic. They’re tight, shared, and filled with blind spots. Add in children, elderly pedestrians, parked cars, and visitors unfamiliar with the layout, and it becomes a perfect storm for accidents.
The places where signs are supposed to do the most good are often the ones where they fail the fastest. Strata complexes, childcare centre car parks, drive-through lanes, school drop-offs, these areas demand more than a polite reminder.
They need a physical deterrent.
Physical traffic calming works because it’s felt, not just seen.
Speed humps trigger an immediate slowdown. Rumble bars alert the driver with sound and vibration. Bollards mark territory and make it clear that vehicles and pedestrians don’t mix.
Unlike signs, which often become background noise, physical infrastructure tends to grab your attention. It interrupts autopilot driving and re-engages the brain. It tells the driver: you’re somewhere that requires caution, and backs that message up with physical consequences if they don’t comply.
Let’s put it. Passive measures (like signage) rely on hope. Active measures (such as humps and bars) require a response.
There’s no contest.
If a car approaches a speed hump too fast, the driver feels it. If they ignore a sign, nothing happens. That’s the difference between a request and a requirement.
This doesn’t mean signs are useless, far from it. But signs should support physical infrastructure, not replace it.
We’ve heard the argument before: “Can’t we just enforce the speed limit more?”
Sure, in theory. But here’s the reality:
Physical devices don’t clock off. They don’t rely on someone being there to work. Once installed, they do their job 24/7.
In the absence of enforcement, the built environment has to carry the load. And it does, when the right tools are used.
One of the most concerning issues is that the worst offenders are often residents themselves. They get comfortable. They cut corners, literally. They reverse without looking, speed through entry points, or ignore pedestrian crossings because they’re “just going home.”
It’s rarely the strangers who cause problems. It’s the regulars who stop treating the space with caution.
That’s why temporary signage or email reminders don’t work. People need physical cues to reset their driving behaviour.
Here’s what we’ve seen work consistently:
The most effective approach combines signage with physical infrastructure. The sign informs. The hump or bar enforces.
Let’s talk risk.
If you’re a body corporate or council officer, the cost of ignoring physical safety upgrades is more than just theoretical; it’s a real and tangible consequence. A single injury claim, insurance hike, or legal dispute can significantly outweigh the cost of installing speed humps or rumble strips.
We’ve spoken to centres and strata committees who waited too long, only taking action after a serious incident or near miss. And in every case, the regret is the same: “We should’ve done this sooner.”
Safety is always cheaper before the accident.
From Complaints to Silence
Here’s a recent example from a shopping centre in Victoria.
Before installing humps, the site manager fielded weekly complaints about near misses, speeding delivery drivers, and unsafe reversing. The car park was signed, but drivers didn’t care.
We installed six 50mm flat-top speed humps after hours to minimise disruption to business.
By the next week, the complaints stopped. Not slowed but stopped. Traffic was calmer. Pedestrian movement was safer. Tenants were happier.
That’s what real results look like.
If your site relies solely on signs to control driver behaviour, it’s time to reassess. Road safety isn’t about hoping drivers will do the right thing; it’s about ensuring they do the right thing. It’s about making sure they have no choice.
At Speed Humps Australia, we’ve worked with councils, strata bodies, schools, and commercial sites across the country. We don’t do guesswork. We assess sites, recommend proven solutions, and back it all up with compliant, install-ready traffic-calming products.
So ask yourself: are the signs doing their job? Or is it time to install something that works?
Book a free assessment or explore our comprehensive range of speed humps and rumble strips to discover what’s possible for your site.
For 10 years, our focus has been on one thing: to provide one style of product and to do it well.
Our wheel stops, speed humps and rumble bars meet Australian Standards, don’t fade, and we’ve never needed to replace one.
For 10 years, our focus has been on one thing: to provide one style of product and to do it well.
Our wheel stops, speed humps and rumble bars meet Australian Standards, don’t fade, and we’ve never needed to replace one.
