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I would like to add my support for your campaign against speed islands. In the last 12 months alone we have suffered two unaccountable blowouts in our Mercedes Estate while in the fast lane of the M4 doing 70 mph, which on both occasions led to the remains of the tyre lying in the middle of oncoming traffic. Naturally we have always called the police, which means the motorway has to be shut temporarily while someone retrieves the remaining obstacle. Mechanics have not been able to find a reasonable explanation for why this has happened twice in such a short space of time. We live in Hackney where there are plenty of speed islands. Having read your column in The Telegraph yesterday, we are starting to wonder if this is the reason for the blowouts. If you have any further info on this, I'd be more than grateful. Good luck with the campaign,

Asked on 10 October 2009 by

Answered by Honest John
Highly likely. All drivers need to inspect the inner shoulders of their tyres for this sort of damage daily. At least 46 people were killed by tyre failures in 2007, many of which were caused by inner shoulder damage inflicted by speed cushions, and, since the number of speed cushions has risen hugely since 2007, the number of deaths caused by them must have increased too. They are killing far more people than they are supposed to save. I am trying to set up a proper test to establish how many speed cushions a car has to straddle before serious damage occurs to the inner shoulders of its tyres. Always drive over speed cushions one wheel over, one wheel on the road. Eventually this will break springs, but that is better than blowouts.
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