Nov 23, 2014

Solar's on the Job so Watch Your Speed

4600 block of Massachusetts Ave NW
American University (northwestbound)
For you drivers out there, watch your speed. DC's got a number of radar speed signs, like the solar one pictured to the left--the solar panel above the "Your Speed" sign. This one does not issue tickets but shifts the brain "...out of the alpha state where the brain is aware but relaxed into the beta state where the brain is alert and focused" (Radarsign.com). It makes you more conscious of your speed.

The Metropolitan Police Department (MDP) traffic safety experts have made decisions on the 6 dozen locations based on "...incidents of speeding-related fatalities and crashes, proximity to school zones and other places where children or other vulnerable populations may be present, and known sites of chronic speeding".  I'm starting to notice these all around town and am thankful I'm not a driver.

If you are a city or community making the decision to install a solar speed signs, here are four solar energy considerations:
  • Latitude (sun exposure) 
  • Traffic volume
  • Access to grid energy
  • Size of sign/number of LEDs

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