Neighborhoods can be a great place to live, as they offer plenty of green spaces and are usually close to schools, shopping centers, and other necessities. However, this doesn’t stop the occasional criminal from coming in for their nefarious purposes. To prevent these sorts of incidents from happening where you live, take the following safety precautions.
1. Install Radar Speed Signs
Radar speed signs can be a valuable tool for keeping people from speeding in neighborhoods and making it easier for you to monitor speeds and notify authorities of dangerous drivers. Installed correctly and using cameras to enforce safety laws, radar speed signs can help keep your neighborhood free from danger.
The radar speed sign is usually mounted on top of a large pole installed on a small pedestal with a round railing. The sign is usually installed with an integrated flashing light feature, which can be controlled by the metered city radio station or by a remote switch for automatic operation. It is designed to be very effective during regular operation but may need to be manually activated for a backup response. The large canopies around the poles should include additional warning lights.
The radar speed sign aims to reduce pedestrian and traffic fatalities. It is designed to allow net speeds up to 30 MPH (50 Km/h) to detect when the speed limit drops below that, and the limitation may remain at that speed. Many pedestrians and children usually install this sign, but it can be effective anywhere with many people.
If you want one of these signs, you can request one through your local police and city engineering departments. Your area may own them already or may not be available until you request them per specific requisites.
2. Improve Lighting on Your Street
The most basic way to help keep your neighborhood safe is to improve the lighting on your street. Ideally, you should install lights on every other streetlight pole so that light shines on both sidewalks and the road. Touching base with your city council person or bringing this up at a local community meeting are effective ways of making your voice heard.
You may not be able to provide this service to all your neighbors on your street, but you can do it yourself. When you change a light pole or install a new one, let the utility company know so they can record the current condition and plan for future improvements. It’s a good idea to check with the city and utility company every couple of years.
Consider adding new lights to the light poles in front of your house so that people driving by can see where they are going at night. Also, consider installing a light over the garage door, so drivers know when people are inside. You might be surprised how much brighter it can make a walkway or driveway.
3. Organize Neighborhood Safety Efforts
Sometimes the best way to keep your neighborhood safe is to act together. Organize a community meeting and discuss what you can do as a group. Some possibilities are:
What can each of us do at home? If someone in your neighborhood has a security camera or motion sensor lights, ask them for permission to film and light their property for safety.
Society needs you to be their eyes and ears. If a neighbor sees something strange, do not keep quiet. It is also good to have neighbors who know each other and can check in regularly to ensure everyone is okay.
