A humping we will go

While it is sad that J.S. of Congleton managed to damage his car, his letter does not tell the whole story. Boundary Lane in Congleton is a residential street, and is also the site of a primary school. The road is quite narrow and is used as a ‘Rat Run’ by people travelling to Congleton from Biddulph. The main-road route between these two towns is longer and also includes a set of traffic lights, which can cause delays for impatient drivers. I believe that Congleton Council was correct to introduce speed bumps on this road, both for the safety of children and residents and also to reduce its attractiveness as a "Rat Run". It is well established that 20mph speed limits do not mean that drivers will travel at this speed. Some form of physical deterrent is required to achieve this. With a primary school on this road, a 10mph speed would possibly be more appropriate. The speed bumps are clearly visible, so the fact that damage occurred probably means that J.S. was travelling faster than the council intended or the car already had a potentially serious defect. Why should other peoples' lives be put at risk just because someone wants to travel fast down such a road?

Asked on 4 July 2009 by

Answered by Honest John

I am making a general point, not one restricted to Congleton. People's lives are very seriously being put at risk by the damage speed cushions inflict on the inner shoulders of car tyres. This is not speed related. It's the fact that the inner shoulder are put under severe pressure and damaged by the weight of the car forcing them outwards on the chamfered edges. Where speed cushions start to crumble, tyres can literally be ripped. This is damage drivers cannot see. So it is perfectly feasible that a high percentage of death crashes caused by tyre blowouts were the result of tyre damage inflicted by speed cushions. The death rate from may be far higher than the lives allegedly saved by these obstructions, that have actually been a real moneyspinner for councillors, council officials and favoured contractors. Interestingly London’s Mayor, Boris Johnson, was nearly wiped out on 21st May while cycling in London when a truck’s rear door unlatched on a speed hump and caught a parked car.

Tags: councils speed humps driving

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