Mexican Speed Bump

Now doesn't that sound like a cocktail you might have with chips and salsa? In fact, it is a government-backed invention in Mexico created to slow traffic. I read about this Smart Speed Bump in the Arizona Republic recently and it seems like a good idea.

Decano Industries in Toluca, Mexico, has created a speed bump that measures the force of impact from a vehicle, falling flat if it is moving at or below the speed limit. If the vehicle is going too fast, the speed bump remains raised.

Apparently, it is rugged, requires no electricity, costs about $1,500 for a single lane and will last approximately 10 years with an annual maintenance cost of only $50.

When we moved to Phoenix, we noticed that drivers really fly on these streets. It finally dawned on me why this is ... there aren't many potholes to speak of which allows for much higher speeds. The nice weather and lack of snow and plows and salt leave the streets in pretty good shape year-round. The mountain town we came from had potholes the size of a car -- or at least it felt like it when you hit one.

So far, photo radar has been the answer to slowing down speeders here. Maybe, once Mexico has completed their patent and started manufacturing the Smart Speed Bump, we'll have a test run in Phoenix.