TL;DR:

Speed bumps are designed to dramatically slow down traffic, often to 2-10 mph.
Speed humps are more gradual and designed for smoother transitions, slowing vehicles to about 15-20 mph.
Knowing the difference helps improve safety and comfort while driving.

When learning to drive, understanding the different road features is crucial for safe and efficient driving. Two common traffic-calming devices that drivers frequently encounter are speed bumps and speed humps. While they might look similar, their purpose, design, and impact on your driving experience can differ greatly. At Get Drivers Ed, we believe it’s important for drivers to be aware of these distinctions to make their journey smoother and safer.

What Are Speed Bumps?

Speed bumps are sharp, abrupt, elevated sections of the road that are designed to slow vehicles down significantly. Typically, you'll find speed bumps in areas with high pedestrian traffic, such as parking lots or private roads. Their primary goal is to reduce the speed of vehicles to a very low rate, usually between 2-10 mph.

Key Features of Speed Bumps:

Height: Speed bumps are usually quite tall and sharp in design.
Length: They are short in length, making them more noticeable.
Purpose: The goal is to force vehicles to slow down drastically to ensure pedestrian safety.

Speed bumps are more aggressive than speed humps. When driving over one, you'll likely feel a jolt or a significant bump, especially if you're not slowing down in advance. For drivers, it’s essential to slow down and be prepared to maneuver carefully when approaching a speed bump to avoid damaging the vehicle or causing discomfort to passengers.

What Are Speed Humps?

On the other hand, speed humps are more gradual and designed for a smoother transition across the road. Unlike speed bumps, speed humps are typically found on residential streets or neighborhood roads, where they are meant to slow traffic without creating an uncomfortable experience for drivers. While their purpose is still to reduce speed, it’s at a less drastic rate, generally around 15-20 mph.

Key Features of Speed Humps:

Height: Speed humps are lower and more rounded than speed bumps.
Length: They are longer and spread out across the road, making the transition much smoother.
Purpose: Designed to reduce speed while maintaining comfort for drivers, especially on residential roads.

Speed humps allow for a more fluid drive, as the wider, rounded shape enables a gentler descent and ascent. For most drivers, navigating over speed humps is much less jarring than going over a speed bump.

Why Knowing the Difference Matters in Drivers Ed?

Understanding the distinction between speed bumps and speed humps is important for two main reasons: safety and comfort.

Safety:

By recognizing the type of road feature ahead, drivers can adjust their speed accordingly. For example, approaching a speed bump requires slowing down significantly to avoid damage to the vehicle, while approaching a speed hump only requires a slight decrease in speed. Being aware of these road features helps prevent accidents, vehicle damage, or unsafe driving behaviors.

Comfort:

Driving smoothly over road features like speed bumps and humps also ensures that your passengers are comfortable. When drivers adjust their speed and approach these obstacles cautiously, they avoid jolting their passengers and minimize discomfort.

At Get Drivers Ed, we incorporate lessons on road features like speed bumps and humps into our comprehensive curriculum. By teaching new drivers how to navigate these features safely, we help them build confidence on the road, ensuring that they are not only following traffic laws but also practicing responsible and thoughtful driving.

Embark on Your Driving Journey with Get Drivers Ed

At Get Drivers Ed, we understand that drivers face a wide variety of road features and obstacles, and knowing how to deal with each one is essential. Our courses are designed to help new drivers not just pass the driving test but become safe, confident drivers who can handle the roads with ease. From understanding traffic-calming devices like speed bumps and humps to mastering defensive driving techniques, our drivers ed courses provide all the tools you need to become a responsible driver.