New stop signs are often requested to help reduce speeding, particularly in residential neighborhoods. But stop signs are not really effective for this purpose for several reasons. When new stop signs are installed, overall speeds often increase because drivers tend to accelerate more rapidly after a stop and drive faster to make up for the lost time caused by the unwarranted stop sign. Stop signs create an expectation in drivers and pedestrians that all drivers will stop at them. The result can be an increase in serious accidents.
Speed bumps are another frequently requested speed control measure.
However, because they are a hazard to emergency service vehicles, cyclists and some vehicles, the bumps are not allowed on public roads within the City of Kennewick. Controlling speeding is very difficult. Realistically, almost all of us speed, at least occasionally. There is no effective way to make people drive slowly without constant enforcement. However, law enforcement is not the only solution to the problem since the City does not have, and indeed, could not afford a police force adequate to lie in wait for speeders in all residential areas.