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{{Short description|Curves added to a road to slow traffic}}
{{for-multi|the musician|Chicane (musician)|other uses|Chicane (disambiguation)}}
A '''chicane''' ({{IPAc-en|ʃ|ɪ|'|k|eɪ|n}}) is a [[serpentine shape|serpentine]] curve in a road, added by design rather than dictated by geography. Chicanes add extra turns and are used both in [[motor racing]] and on roads and streets to [[traffic calming|slow traffic]] for safety. For example, one form of chicane is a short, shallow S-shaped turn that requires the driver to turn slightly left and then slightly right to continue on the road, requiring the driver to reduce speed. The word ''chicane'' is derived from the [[French language|French]] verb ''chicaner'', which means "to create difficulties" or "to dispute pointlessly", "quibble", which is also the root of the [[English language|English]] [[noun]] ''chicanery''.<ref>{{cite book |title=Webster's New World College Dictionary |date=2006 |publisher=[[Wiley Publishing]] |location=Cleveland |isbn=0-02-863118-8 |page=253 |edition=4th}}</ref> The Spanish verb ''chicanear'' also means "to use trickery".<ref>[https://www.spanishdict.com/conjugate/chicanear spanishdict]</ref>

== Motor racing ==
[[File:Suzuka Circuit Chicane 2011 Super Taikyu Suzuka 300km.jpg|thumb|The Casio Triangle chicane on the [[Suzuka International Racing Course]]]]
On modern racing circuits, chicanes are usually located after long straights. Due to being preceded by heavy braking zones, they are regularly used as overtaking spots. They can be placed tactically by circuit designers to prevent vehicles from reaching speeds deemed to be unsafe. Examples of this include: three chicanes at the [[Autodromo Nazionale Monza]], introduced in the early 1970s; the Chase at [[Mt Panorama Circuit|Mount Panorama]], added in 1987; and the Tamburello chicane at [[Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari|Imola]], which was placed in 1995 after [[death of Ayrton Senna|Ayrton Senna's death]] at the original corner. At [[Circuit de la Sarthe|Le Mans]] in 1990, two chicanes were placed on the {{convert|6|km|mi}} [[Mulsanne Straight]] where [[Group C]] [[sports prototype|prototypes]] had previously achieved speeds of {{convert|400|km/h|mph}} in order to conform to new international regulations limiting the maximum length of a straight on a motor racing circuit to {{convert|2|km|mi}}. Chicanes can make [[slipstream]]ing less potent.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.autosport.com/general/news/short-racing-circuits-in-defence-of-commonly-overlooked-venues/6273915/ |work= [[Autosport]] |access-date= 18 April 2021 |last= Bradley |first= Charles |title= Short racing circuits: In defence of commonly overlooked venues |date= 18 April 2021 |url-access=limited}}</ref> The term is used in other types of racing, such as [[bobsleigh]], to indicate a similar shift in the course or track. 

A slower driver or vehicle that delays competitors is sometimes disparaged as a ''mobile chicane'' or ''moving chicane''. In some cases they may not move out of the way quickly enough to allow competitors in higher positions (having completed more laps) past, despite repeated showings of [[Racing flags#Blue flag|blue flags]]. This can cost competitors valuable time and championship points.

== Traffic calming ==
[[File:One-lane chicane 1.jpg|thumb|right|Chicanes used for [[traffic calming]]]]
[[File:Washington Avenue Chicane.jpg|thumb|right|Another type of traffic-calming chicane]]
Chicanes are a type of "horizontal deflection" used in [[traffic calming | traffic-calming]] schemes to reduce the speed of traffic.  Drivers are expected to reduce speed to negotiate the lateral displacement in the vehicle path.<ref>[http://masseguridadvial.com/FILES/Complete_Guidance_EN.pdf ''A Road Safety Good Practice Guide for Highway Authorities'', First Edition, Appendix A.6], TRL Limited, Judith Barker and Chris Baguley, for the UK Department for Transport, March 2006 (accessed 16 August 2011)</ref> There are several variations of traffic-calming chicanes, but they generally fall into one of two broad categories:

* Single-lane working chicanes, which consist of staggered {{linktext | build-out}}s, narrowing the road to the extent  that traffic travelling in one direction has to give way to opposing traffic
* Two-way working chicanes, which use build-outs to provide deflection, but with lanes separated by road markings or by a central island.

Limited crash-data for chicane schemes indicate changes in injury crashes (range from −54% to +32%) and crash severity.{{clarify|reason=what does it mean? sources don't support this claim.|date=March 2016}}<ref>[http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20090511035913/http://www.dft.gov.uk/adobepdf/165240/244921/244924/TAL_12-971 UK Department for Transport Traffic Advisory Leaflet 12/97]{{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111005113925/http://www2.dft.gov.uk/adobepdf/165240/244921/244924/TAL_12-971.pdf |date=2011-10-05}}, December 1997 (accessed 16 August 2011)</ref><ref>[https://www.ncchpp.ca/docs/ReviewLiteratureTrafficCalming_En.pdf "Urban Traffic Calming and Health", National Collaborating Centre for Healthy Public Policy, Canada]</ref>

Chicanes can also be used to prevent access to certain vehicles. The [[Vermont Agency of Transportation]] has considered adding chicanes to [[Vermont Route 108|Route 108]] in [[Stowe, Vermont|Stowe]] and [[Cambridge, Vermont|Cambridge]] to prevent the passage of [[Semi-trailer truck|tractor-trailers]], which often get stuck further up the road.<ref>{{cite news |last1 =Reporter |first1 =Stowe |title =Stuck trucks botch Notch despite VTrans bans, fines and signs |url =https://vtdigger.org/2019/05/30/stuck-trucks-botch-notch-despite-vtrans-bans-fines-and-signs/ |access-date =4 July 2022 |work =VTDigger |date =30 May 2019}}</ref>

== Pedestrian ==
A ''pedestrian chicane'' is a kind of permanent [[fence]] used at a [[level crossing|railway crossing]] to slow pedestrians down and to force them to observe both directions before crossing the [[rail tracks|railway tracks]]. While passing the chicane, one has to turn to the left and to the right, increasing the probability of seeing an approaching train. A similar arrangement is sometimes used at the entrances of [[urban park|parks]] to impede [[bicycle]], car, mobility scooter, and wheelchair access.

<gallery widths="200px" heights="155px">
File:Umlaufgitter.jpg|Chicane to prevent pedestrians from carelessly running across the track.
File:LIE Corona Av chicane TWC jeh.jpg|Chicane used for slowing cyclists
</gallery>

== See also ==
* [[Crowd control barrier]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{Commons category-inline|Chicanes}}
* {{Wiktionary-inline|chicane}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Motorsport terminology]]
[[Category:Perimeter security]]
[[Category:Transportation planning]]
[[Category:Traffic calming]]