Bump of the Future

Speed bumps are probably among the simplest of speed deterrents that can be installed on residential roadways in an effort to slow down neighborhood speed demons. The problem is that for those of us following the speed limit (or are within a mile or two of it) in these neighborhood streets, we are forced to go slow over speed bumps as well. The result is that regardless of whether you obey the rules or not, you have to endure the sometimes damaging motion of going over a speed bump. Not so with a new invention being shown off in Korea. Invented by Korean scientists Jae-yun Kim and Jong-Su Lee, these new types of speed bumps combine speed radars with smart technology.

The concept is a relatively simple and straightforward one. If you are approaching one of the speed bumps above the speed limit then the speed bump will rise to its full height causing you to slow down or at least endure the inconvenience of bumping your travel along the road. If however you are being kind and law-abiding then the speed bump will flatten itself out and will leave the road relatively blemish free. Although it hasn't been implemented on roads as yet; testing has proven that the concept works and would ease the burden of speeding up and slowing down for drivers who maintain a steady following of the speed limit. I think it's a great idea that will help in the propogation of smarter driving and better fuel efficiency and wear and tear on our cars.

I mean think about it. Most people out there race from speed bump to speed bump (or traffic light to traffic light or stop sign to stop sign) in a vain effort to keep moving at high speed. The end result is that you burn more fuel in rapid starts and stops and you burn out your brake pads faster by doing the same. In addition you emit more carbon into the air. Overall it is a bad deal for everyone. Instead, technology like this encourages drivers to follow the rules while giving them incentive to do so. Not everyone will like it I'm sure but it's much better and smarter in theory than speed cameras or red light cameras. In both those instances they take a snapshot in time and can often penalize you for circumstansial evidence. Supposing you're being tailgated and the light turns yellow just as you are approaching an intersection. You can certainly stop in time but you'll end up with your tailgating pal crashing into you from behind. In speeding up you'll likely still get the ticket and will have to argue your way out of it.

Or what about new technology that is being implemented in areas such as the traffic-prone Woodrow Wilson Bridge in Washington, D.C. Connecting Maryland and Virginia along the southern end of the Beltway this bridge is notorious for creating traffic snarls that are the stuff of legend. Now during rush hour there has been a recent implementation of new technology that is meant to help speed up traffic. What happens is that the speed limit signs along the bridge corridor will adapt to the heaviness of traffic in order to encourage rapid clearing of the bridge. The theory sounds great although when they suddenly make the change in the middle of the day, drivers often don't know when the speeds may change and end up with speeding tickets for speeding when the posted speed limit was actually reduced. It's frustrating for many drivers and while the concept is nice I don't think it is working quite as they anticipated.

This new speed bump seems like a step in the right direction however and I think it will be something worth expanding upon It's a simple enough concept that combines many proven technologies and can positively affect the way we drive our cars. After all, with the way the markets are right now and the way oil has been fluctuating in the last few years, whatever we can do to prolong the lives of our vehicles is a good thing. I think it's a step in the right direction and is a sign of things to come. Now if they could only come up with a way to keep slow drivers from hogging the left lanes. Then we'd be yet another step closer to driver heaven.