Speed AwarenesS SIgnS Program

The City is introducing smiley face speed signs to help encourage safer driving in our neighbourhoods.

These signs give drivers instant feedback about how fast they are travelling and remind them to slow down when needed.

The project is part of our Accessible City Strategy, which aims to prioritise pedestrians through safe streets, slower speed zones and shared spaces.

How the signs work

Speed awareness signs use radar technology to detect the speed of approaching vehicles.

Depending on the driver’s speed, the sign will display:

• A smiley face if a driver is travelling within the speed limit. 

• A sad face and slow down message if a driver is going too fast. 

The signs are solar powered and designed to be temporary, allowing them to be moved between locations where speeding concerns have been identified.

Speed awareness signs act as a visual reminder for drivers to check their speed and are widely used as part of local government road safety programs.

Research shows that immediate feedback can encourage many drivers to slow down and drive more safely.

The signs also collect speed data which helps the City:

• Monitor traffic conditions.

• Identify speeding trends.

• Support future road safety planning.

Why is the City using these signs?

In 2025, residents on Ellesmere Street raised concerns about increased traffic and speeding after the closure of the Green Street and Scarborough Beach Road roundabout.

To respond to these concerns, the City trialled four temporary speed advisory signs along Ellesmere Street.

The results were positive:

• Average traffic speeds reduced from 55 km/h to 48 km/h.

• This represents about a 13% reduction in speed.

Based on these results, the City has implemented a three-year rolling program to deploy the signs at different locations across the City.

Sign locations

Locations for the speed awareness signs are identified using a combination of traffic data and community feedback.

Priority is given to roads where:

• Traffic speeds exceed the posted speed limit.

• Local Area Traffic Management assessments identify safety concerns.

• The City has received multiple community complaints about speeding.

Each sign will usually stay at a location for around six months before moving to another street.

Current locations: 

Street name	From	To	Timeframe
Farmer Street	Fitzgerald Street	Angove Street	Oct 2025 - Mar 2026
Ellesmere Street	Charles Street	London Street	Mar 2026 - Sep 2026
Haynes Street	Sydney Street	Eton Street	Mar 2026 - Sep 2026
Joel Terrace	Mitchell Street	Gardnier Street	Dec 2025 - Jun 2026
Burt Street	Norfolk Street	Fitzgerald Street	Mar 2026 - Sep 2026

Upcoming locations: 

Street name	From	To	Timeframe
Eton Street	Gill Street	Green Street	Jul 2026 - Jan 2027
Bourke St	Oxford Street	Windich Place	Jul 2026 - Jan 2027
Carr Street	Fitzgerald Street	Charles Street	Oct 2026 - Mar 2027
Kalgoorlie Street	Anzac Road	Ashby Street	Oct 2026 - Mar 2027
Albert Street	Charles Street	Barnet Street	Oct 2026 - Mar 2027

State Government road safety initiative 

Additionally, the Road Safety Commission has announced that it will be rolling out 100 speed awareness signs in school zones across Western Australia as p at high risk school zones across Western Australia as part of the State Government's Road Safety Reform Package

The City will share further information if locations within Vincent are included in this program.

For more information about the Speed Awareness Signs Program, please contact our Engineering team here. 

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