Guide

Speed bump vs speed hump vs speed table

Short answer: a speed bump is 2–4 in tall with 12–15 in of travel and targets 5–10 mph on private property. A speed hump is 3–4 in tall but 10–14 ft long and targets 15–20 mph on public streets. A speed table is a flat-topped hump, 22 ft or longer, targeting 25–30 mph and often used as a raised crosswalk.

Which one do you actually need?

• Truck and forklift traffic: 2.4 in heavy-duty steel-plate reinforced bump, target ≤ 6 mph, rated to 176,000 lb.
• Cars in a parking lot: 3 in modular rubber bump, target ≤ 10 mph, replace single sections as they wear.
• A public street: that is a hump or table, usually poured asphalt, and it requires municipal approval.

Spacing

ITE traffic-calming practice spaces devices 250–500 ft apart; closer spacing holds speeds down between devices, wider spacing lets drivers accelerate again. In parking lots, place bumps 150–250 ft apart and never within 25 ft of a stop bar or turn.

Permits, signage and accessibility

Private property installs generally need no permit, but signage should follow MUTCD conventions (W17-1 "Bump" or W17-2 "Hump" with an advisory speed plaque) and pavement marking helps at night. Keep ADA accessible routes and marked crossings free of bumps, and never block a fire lane's clear width.