Spacing of trees tricks motorists to reduce speed
A new approach to tackling speeding motorists is being trialled in rural Norfolk. A selection of oak and hawthorne trees have been planted at the side of roads approaching the village or Martham, in an attempt to get motorists to subconsciously reduce their speed as they near the centre of the village.
The trees have been planted in a very precise pattern where they are planted closer to one another and closer to the sides of the road the closer you get to the village. This creates a funnel-shaped border to the road which it is hoped will register with motorist’s peripheral vision as they near the village, giving them the impression that they are speeding up, which in turn should make them react by slowing down. It has been estimated that by the time the trees are maturing, which could be up to 10 years away, they will have the effect of slowing down traffic approaching the village by 3 miles per hour. This might not sound like much, but the highways agency and the local council hope it could result in a 20% reduction in the number of accidents on these roads.
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It’s a genius idea to trick people into thinking they are going faster than they are. However, if this is rolled out across the country then people will surely get wise to the trick.
I think the important thing to note is that it will take upwards of ten years for the trees that have been planted as part of this scheme to grow to a height where they start to have the desired effect. Even if this trial is successful it will probably only be applicable in a limited number of other sites around the country.
Areas needing quick fix solutions to speeding concerns for the short and medium term will probably have to look at more conventional methods, including rumble strips and changes to road layouts.