In France they are very good at traffic calming and do it in a way that is visually attractive.
On quite narrow straight roads they put a high kerb in the middle of the road between the lanes, on both sides with a narrow flower bed in between. The road is wide enough to take all cars and emergency vehicles, but it gives the impression that the lane is narrower than it actually is. They also put in parking bays orflower beds on alternate sides of the road so that cars vehicles have to wind round them.
We were in Peterborough this weekend, near the showground and we noticed that the perimeter road between the show ground and a new estate, had a succession of gentle curves with a big painted and slightly raise roundabout at every junction with an estate road, again it slowed traffic.
I hate all speed humps. DH has damage to the spinal vertibrae in his neck and any speed hump, no matter how slowly it is taken causes him pain and I am sure there are many others with skeletal problems who are similarly affected.