Can I Drive Over Traffic Spikes?

The answer to this question is both yes and no. Traffic spikes are often installed in areas that are looking to prevent theft, elevate security, and guide traffic in a certain direction. Places you will commonly see these traffic spike strips installed would be car rental lots, airports, city government buildings, and apartment complexes. Often, these places allow you to drive around but do not want you to go to certain areas or reenter where you left. That is where the traffic spikes come in.

When the spikes are engaged this will prevent vehicles from entering the area you have installed but will allow people the ability to leave the area without damaging their tires. This is possible due to the unique design of the traffic spikes. Most traffic spike sections are designed with spikes that are slightly curved. This allows the sharp part of the spike to only affect one direction of traffic, while the other side is curved enabling a car to pass over it with zero damage.

Though vehicles are cable of driving over the spiked section in a certain direction drivers should exercise caution when they do go over the strip. If a car were to speed over the spikes, even on the curved side, serious damage could result to the tires. To ensure safe passage, vehicles passing over the traffic spikes should not exceed 5 miles an hour.

Having said that, there are certain models of traffic spikes that do prevent traffic from driving through an area from either direction when the spikes are engaged. Unlike the traffic spike model previously explained, this model does not have spikes that are curved. Instead, this style of traffic spike section has teeth that point straight up when activated and will deflate a vehicle’s tires if they enter or exit the area.

When wanting open access to the space where the spikes have been installed the teeth of the unit can be retracted into the unit. This will change the section into more of a speed bump and allow cars to pass from either direction.