Telegraph readers may have already seen the letter I had published today:
"It is not only emergency vehicles that are damaged by speed bumps. Every single vehicle is physically punished each time it crosses one of these ill conceived obstructions, even at low speed.
Each crossing involves increased wear of tyres, suspension systems and brakes, plus greater exhaust emissions from the ensuing acceleration, plus more noise from deceleration, impact and acceleration -- all negative effects that not only hit the pocket of the vehicle owner but also degrade the environment. In aggregate, the costs are huge.
When are the authorities going to come to their senses and abandon these stupid devices?"
I don't suppose anyone will take any notice at all, but I live in hope (a lifelong problem). I'm not going to let up on my local councillors and the county highway engineer.
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I agree with your points.
But, the road I live on is used like a drag-strip by cars accelerating to well over the 30mph speed limit. It's a residential street but long and straight and quite narrow with cars parked down both sides.
The council are putting in speed bumps. I'm pleased, as hopefully it'll slow down these drag racers. They'll be forced to slow down as opposed to just ignoring the limit signs.
What other way, that's easy and cheap to implement, can you use to force people to slow down?
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Nickd
Hope your humps solve the problems - I used to live in what sounds like a similar street - council put in humps which helped but a sizeable minority just ignored them and went down the road at the same speed as before.
The minority included - Company car drivers, Couriers & PO Vans, assorted lorries and vans, dustcarts etc. It soon becomes clear who pays for their own repairs.
Just make sure one of the humps isn't right outside your house...
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Well said Roger, I completely agree.
Also, they can make your fillings fall out and give you piles. (at least that's what I'm told)
Sometimes I wish I could afford to hire a large road plane and grind them all flat, depositing them as neat piles of aggregate at the side of the road.
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I've often wondered why you have to slow down so so much to get over a speed bump without getting shaken to bits.
I agree with the principle - to stop idiotic speeding down residential/school roads etc, but why on a road with a 30mph limit (or even 20mph) do you still have to slow down to 10mph to get over the damn speed bump, accelerate back to speed limit, then slow again and so on.
Why dont they invent a speed bump that allows you to drive over it at 30mph(or whatever the limit) with reasonable comfort, yet causes serious problems if you were to drive over it at over 30mph. It cant be too inconcievable, can it?
Dave
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Problem is Roger, that not all vehicles are the same. Where one can pass over at x miles per hour, another could go faster, or another needs to go slower.
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The roads I use (including long, straight main roads) have been fitted with a mixture of square top cuchions, round top cushions, and whole-width on ramp off ramp raised humps.
What happens is the old and timid slow down to 2 mph, boy racers floor it and overtake them at speeds up to mph.
Normal people who didn't speed before they were fitted get stuck behind people doing 2mph.
Flatbeds, skip lorries, tippers etc... cruise over at about 25mph, causing a huge crashing sound.
A total disaster. it is the top complaint to the councillor who has surgeries outside the Co-op in the area where I work.
All we need, is proper Policing and Courts to weed out those who drive dangerously.
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The whole speed hump scene is a re-invention of the wheel! In some parts of the country Councils are spending a fortune installing humps and 200 miles away another Council is digging them up - all out of the Council Tax payers pockets. I do think it is odd that one cannot drive down a road with a 30 mph limit (say) and not damage one's car on a council installed hump when driving at the legally posted limit. Put in a speed recording optical device and make money instead of spending it! Humps certainly cause speed disruptions which lead to more noise and pollution and wear and tear on vehicles.
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Recently a relative of mine was taken into hospital in an ambulance, the speed bumps were taken at 2mph and still my relative was nearly thrown off the bed!
The local joy riders love speed bumps, they accelerate as they go over making the wheels screech on their stolen cars, every one in my locality is well and truly miffed off with them, the joy riding has got worse and we all got cluncks in our suspesion.
Road humps before junctions are also a favourite, whilst you wait to turn right the car approaching hits the speed ramp, in the dark this looks as if its flashed you through, but it hasn't, arrrhhhhh.
Ban them they're dangerous, useless, don't work, cause damage and accidents, and they are installed by idiots in our councils that belive in one car per household, and no parking spaces,.
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Like many people I hate the things but recognise that there is sometimes a need to calm traffic especially on rat runs. In our area speed humps seem to be breeding like rabbits. Some are okay, but most are very steep and even at 10 mph the back of my car - a Ford Ka - makes an unpleasant banging noise.
I would like the goverment to regulate speed humps. I believe that at present there is not much control, and hence we see such a wide variation in form. They should also not allow speed humps to be approved without a) consultation with emergency services and b) a vote of the locals and a majority in favour.
Why can't they introduce more road constrictions? We have some double contrictions that are a slalom and a danger to cyclists. There are others that work well. These direct cars into the middle of the road, with priority in one direction. The other kind, that close one lane seem to work less well. I'm always finding that people do not give way when they should.
Why can't they make main roads more appealing? In out area the lights prevent a direct run so we all use the back streets, and the council build road humps because we go by the back streets. Doh.
I would like cameras and a 20 mph speed limit in some areas instead of humps. That way we could all drive at an appropriate speed. But I suspect they don't install cameras because they would not generate enough money to pay for their installation and upkeep.
This is looking like a rant ... time to stop.
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Of course there is a need to persuade traffic to slow down, but bumps/cushions are not a logical answer, for the reasons Roger has listed. And in some parts bumps may cure one street by moving the problem to a parallel street. Residents of affected streets may find the speeding problem diminishes, but at the cost of more braking and accelerating, and incremental damage to their own cars.
Bumps are about as sensible as clamping a car which has parked causing an obstruction.
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If the speed between humps is moderate (the idea presumably being to keep the average down) there is little disruption, and the much-vaunted eco damage through acceleration/braking is minimal. As for damage to suspension, tyres etc. I doubt it, if heavy impact is avoided. Otherwise its self-inflicted by lack of observation, planning etc. Tough. On the other hand, some bumps are unnecessarily steeply "ramped' so cause discomfort if the smallest error is made. I'd prefer the Continental approach where speed restrictions are brought about by landscaping the areas: chicane, rumble strips/pave, ambiguity about markings so drivers are slightly disoriented. Backed up by on the spot fines.
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I have one big issue with speed bumps. Their use in 30 limits. As mentioned above, they are a traffic calming measure but can't be taken at 30. If the traffic needs calming then a speed limit of 20 would seem more appropriate?
I am all in favour of all residential streets in the UK below a certain width being made 20 limits. The kind of street where there is little offroad parking and it is impossible for cars travelling in opposite directions to pass unless there is a space between parked cars to pull in to. The kind of street that makes up the majority of residential areas in the UK. The kind of street where 30mph is sheer lunacy.
So lets solve the problem of speed ramps in 30 limits by making them all 20 limits.
In some of the above posts I was frankly mystified by the "need" to get back up the speed limit for the road. Notice anything there? The word limit not target.
For goodness sake, consider the environment you are driving in. If there are ramps I'm prepared to lay the odds that you are in a residential area or on the fringes of one. 30mph is NOT appropriate in such circumstances. You usually have an extremely limited view of the pavement and any children that may be playing there.
Granted, you will still have to slow to negotiate many ramps, but slowing from 20 to 10 and back again can be accomplished in 2nd gear in most cars without undue strain provided you don't floor it to gain that precious extra 10mph.
Stop being so selfish and think about why the darn things are there!
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We have some speed bumps on the main road nearby because of school and the concern over the danger to school children walking to school. Trouble is, when it's school start or finish times, there is so much traffic that the road jams with cars anyway, so you couldn't do 30mph even if you wanted to! The rest of the time, including school holidays, the bumps are just an absolute nuisance. In fact, they aggravated a back injury my wife has, and now they are beginning to upset my back on the rare occasions that I drive that way.
Do we have any legal claim for damages against the council, and what does one have to do to get pointless speed humps removed? (these are the red square ones in the middle of each side of the road).
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"Do we have any legal claim for damages against the council, and what does one have to do to get pointless speed humps removed?"
I suggest you find out what the local opinion is regarding the humps. If you can show that a majority are against them, then you might be able to convince the council. If you can't then maybe you can get a local party to take up the issue. It might win them votes.
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There was an article on North West Tonight many months ago about a new form of traffic calming, on a street somewhere in the Greater Manchester area. It didn't involve speedbumps. Instead, on small stretches of the street they replaced the tarmac with nicely patterend and laid bricks, they painted parking lines so that residents parked diagonally, effectively reducing the road to one lane, and they put in flower beds. Not only did it beautify the street, it also did the trick re keeping speeds down.
If I could be bothered I would pop into the office next door, which houses the Tameside Traffic Engineers, and ask more, but am the shy type, so won't ;-)
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