Slow Down for Public Health

We decided to choose a local neighborhood close to University of South Florida’s campus to place our sticker. We stuck our sticker on a designated speed hump within the neighborhood. While taking our picture we chose two locations, a sign stating “Speed Hump 15mph” and the physical speed hump, which are large and clearly warn drivers to exercise caution. This location appealed to our group because we believe that the element of traffic safety was indicative to public health, and it creates a safer environment for pedestrians and the residents. Furthermore, it promotes drivers to be aware of their surroundings and practice more cautious driving habits. It allows for the driver’s to experience increased safety since they are driving at lower speeds.
This is important to public health in various ways. For instance, it promotes a safe environment for local children to be active and play which, from a public health standpoint, makes them less susceptible to the U.S’s growing childhood obesity problem. The speed hump is also largely enforcing and acts as a policing mechanism to slow traffic at places where it is necessary for traffic to be slow. The obvious benefits of a speed hump are that it slows traffic which in turn reduces noise, citizen complaints, and provides accident prevention. Finally the mere presence of a speed hump in a neighborhood provides benefits to the communities mental health, as it provides a general calming feeling to the residents that they can be sure that no speeder’s will be speeding through their community.

Jessica White, Kristen Jadick, Ashley Brogna, Bryan Stevens