Traffic calming
There are different types of traffic calming measures. Suitable measures will vary, every location is different. Traffic calming can reduce traffic speeds and improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists.
High vehicle speeds increase the risk and severity of collisions.
Traffic calming helps to:
- Reduce speeding in residential and high-footfall areas
- Improve road safety for vulnerable users like children, the elderly, and cyclists
- Encourage walking and cycling by making streets feel safer and more welcoming
- Enhance community well-being by reducing noise, pollution, and traffic dominance
Traffic calming can take many forms, including:
- Speed humps and cushions – raised areas of the road that slow vehicles down.
- Chicanes and road narrowing – alter the road layout to reduce speed and improve driver attentiveness.
- Raised crossings and junctions – improve visibility and prioritise pedestrian movements.
- Gateway features – Signs, different road surfaces, or plants that show drivers they are entering a slower speed limit.
Suitable measures will vary, every location is different. Most traffic calming schemes contain several features which work together to reduce speeds. All schemes must consider the impact on emergency service response times and disruption to bus service routes.
What to do next
It is often easy to gain support to reduce traffic speeds, but it can be more difficult to establish the acceptable measures. If you are able to gain local support/consensus it will help to promote a scheme.
Discussion with your Cornwall Councillor and Parish/Town Council via the Community Area Partnership in the first instance, is important. (keep the two links that currently exist here)
Many requests are received, but funding is limited. We cannot guarantee swift implementation, but we will keep you informed of the prospects for your scheme. For further information on traffic calming please contact us using the details on this page.
Safety Camera Requests
Working with our communities to address speeds and perception of speed is at the heart of our Casualty Reduction Strategy.
We will work in partnership to achieve this.
There are a range of tools available to Highway Authorities to change driver behaviour and control speeds on our roads. The deployment of speed cameras is one of those options. Department for Transport guidance recommends cameras are located in areas where many speed related collisions have occurred, and where other safety improvement measures have been considered first.
The deployment of cameras should be evidence-based, proportional, and justifiable. With the primary goal of reducing serious injuries and changing driver behaviour. We understand that safety cameras are not always the most suitable solution. Every community is different, and the most effective intervention may include:
- Creating safer spaces for walking and cycling
- Reducing the road width the slow vehicles
- Installing traffic
Safety cameras can also address other issues like air quality, community severance. They can also act as an alternative to traditional traffic calming features that may not be deliverable.
In August 2021, we partnered with other South West organisations to develop new guidance and assessment criteria, supported by the Vision Zero South West Partnership (VZSW). Each site is assessed and reviewed by VZSW and its partners to determine if cameras are needed. The decision is then communicated to the Local Authority, and implementation depends on funding availability.
We do not have a dedicated camera funding program. Community improvements are delivered through Implementation Plans, which outline schemes such as:
- Enhanced walking and cycling measures
- Improved links to public transport (bus and rail)
- Enhanced safety measures
- Traffic calming
- Community-based initiatives
Requests often exceed available funding, so we prioritise schemes to deliver a balanced and affordable program. More information is available in our Cornwall Transport Plan.
Speeding
Cornwall Council and Devon & Cornwall Police often hear from people worried about speeding. To make sure we provide a co-ordinated response, we use a process called the Speed Compliance Action Review Forum (SCARF).
How SCARF works:
- SCARF looks at data from the Council and Police, like traffic and collision data
Every concern is reviewed, but not all will get a full assessment at SCARF - Sometimes, it is decided that no further action is required
- If action is needed, it could be education, enforcement, or changes to the road
SCARF keeps records and usually won’t look at the same concern again for three years, unless something significant changes.
Next steps:
- Speed concerns are often shared by the whole community. Please contact your Cornwall Councillor and local Parish/Town Council in the first instance to understand the community need.
- Your Cornwall Councillor or the Parish/Town Council can raise the issue with Cornwall Council/Highways and/or the Police so it can be reviewed.
Other options to consider in managing vehicle speeds are:
Community Speed Watch (CSW)
CSW is a national volunteer initiative designed to educate drivers who are monitored speeding in local communities. It is driven by proactive volunteers from local communities where there is a concern for speeding in their area.
Further information on CSW, including links to join or set up a team, can be found here.
Mobile Speed Activation Signs (MSAS)
MSAS detect the speed of oncoming traffic using a radar device that will indicate the vehicle speed or the speed limit. They are temporary interactive signs which have been shown to be effective in reducing traffic speeds. Parish/Town Councils that are considering installing such equipment should contact their Highway Manager via enquiries@cornwallhighways.co.uk before purchase. For additional information please see the Mobile Speed Activation Signs Guidance Note.
Local Educational Campaign
Parish/Town Councils and local community groups can utilise the Council’s Safer Roads Campaign Toolkit to share important road safety messages into the community.