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Who Invented Speed Bumps?

Speed bumps were invented in 1953 by a physicist who was concerned about speeding vehicles along pedestrian-strewn areas. Speed bumps continue to be used as a form of speed control.

  1. Arthur Holly Compton

    • Arthur Holly Compton was a physicist and winner of the Nobel Prize in physics in 1927 for his discoveries contradicting the then-common belief in the electromagnetic theory. He is commonly known for his work in the Compton Effect with X-ray theories. He invented the speed bump in 1953.

    Reason

    • Compton began designs on the speed bump after noticing the speed at which motorists passed Brookings Hall at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, where he was a chancellor.

    Variations

    • Compton designed two variations of the original speed bump: a single bump and a double bump. The single bump is the more common of the two.

    Fans of the Speed Bump

    • Speed bumps were a welcome solution and were popular among students and faculty, as well as the surrounding population.

    Commemeration

    • In 1992, Washington University placed single-speed bumps at each end of what is now Hoyt Drive (formerly Brookings Hall) in celebration of Compton's birth 100 years before.

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