Speed cushions to the rescue?

Forget bumps and humps. The new thing in traffic-slowing is the "speed cushion." They are larger than regular bumps and force "cars to slow down as they ride with one or both wheels on the humps. However, the wider axle of emergency vehicles such as fire engines and ambulances allows them to straddle the cushions without slowing down or increasing response times." They are now being put to the test in Whittier:

Motorists regularly zoomed around the bend near Aeolian Elementary School, says parent Danielle Chacon. "I would see them coming fast around the corner and down the street. And then they'd look at you like it's your fault," said Chacon, 28, of Whittier. Now, however, ever since since the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works installed three sets of "speed cushions" in front of the school, the change in traffic has been like night and day, residents say.

Maybe they could come in handy at one Northridge intersection. According to the DN: "Fifty-two crashes were reported last year at Nordhoff Street and Tampa Avenue, making it the most accident-prone intersection, according to the Los Angeles Police Department." Some blame freeway traffic slipover.