I never thought I would be writing a thread like this, but I must be getting old or something.
One night earlier this week I was woken by a skidding sound and a loud bang. I couldn't believe my eyes when I looked out the of front window and saw a car on it's roof at the entrance to our driveway, inches from the garden wall and about two feet away from my car. I called 999 and got help and dashed outside.
Amazingly, the three lads inside had all got out through the windows and nobody was seriously hurt. I have no idea how they did this, and they are so lucky not to be hurt - they managed to avoid the wall, the kerb and a further wall on the other side of the drive. It was wet, and while we were waiting for the boy's dad to arrive he kept saying "but I was only doing 35" ... round a bend, down a hill and on a wet road!! To get the car upright and onto the recovery truck it had to be winched up and swung right over my car - I don't think I breathed for about a minute!
The problem is, this is the second time this has happened in the last few months. Last time, it was the house opposite that had it's garden wall demolished as a car came round the bend too fast and lost control.
Our road goes round in a loop and we live just before the first bend, which is at the top of a hill. In the winter it rarely gets gritted and it would be funny to watch people come skidding round the corner, if it weren't for the fact that, as we've seen, people get it badly wrong, people get hurt and things get damaged. My dad quite often puts his own sign on the bend to warn people to slow down, and people in the road have had to put out salt/sand in the past because it's rare to see a gritter.
Anyway, my point is (I'm getting there...), as much as I detest speed bumps, our road is crying out for something to slow people down before something more serious happens. Has anyone sucessfully got something done in their road? I have emailed my local councillor (I think I am actually turning into Victor Meldrew but the other night's incident was very scary) who has passed it onto the highways department.
If one thing has come out of this incident, I will no longer say that all older, small french cars are flimsy. The car that flipped was a 106 and I am amazed at the way the roof didn't collapse and enabled the boys to get out.
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Chase your local councillor to get the police to carry out random speed checks using a mobile radar thingie. We did with our neighbours: the police caught about 20 drivers in an hour doing over 40 in a 30 limit..
A few random breath tests also help to keep the muppets away.
madf
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Speed bumps/humps/cushions can cause damage to vehicles going over them at almost any speed, even if below the posted limit. They also delay emergency vehicles and can cause pain and discomfort to ambulance passengers. See HJ's comments on the subject via forum search!
Hard work pays off in the future - Laziness pays off now!
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Be careful where you park your car PG. And the new Alfa when it comes.
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I assume by your comment PG that you think speed is a significant cause of accident on your road? Is it therefore time for a speed camara and other speed reducing devices. Prehapps we should only have speed camaras enabled when it's wet/snowing, as per your OPt?
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why is it that police rarely target these type of roads. some boy racers crash, then we all pay the price of speed humps.
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Worth pointing out that PG lives on a quiet residential backroad - not a main route - You'd pretty much never see a police car there unless someone had called in with a problem.
Trouble is said road is access route to many other cul-de-sacs. Coming from those other turnings brings you (via a fairly lengthy "straight")to this troublesome corner, which has quite a nasty negative camber to it too. As is typical of residential back roads, the surface isn't up to much either.
All things considered, this nipper was pushing his luck given all the factors involved, and was very lucky to only have his ego bruised.
I'm not a member of the anti-speed lobby, but I too have had to reverse from PG's driveway, only to have someone bearing down on me at a rate of knots. I agree that speed bumps destroy cars, but would definitely be happy to see one of those "pinch point" type obstacles put in there before someone gets seriously hurt.
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What you don't want is a speed bump - you get noise as vehicles go over them and increased engine noise as vehicles (especially the milkman's diesel transit), accelerates away from them. Not ideal at 5 in the morning!
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Sounds like he might have had defective tyres partly and may have taken a poor line around the corner, lost it then panic braked losing control completely. Defective suspension would also contribute and speed humps are a well known cause of premature suspension wear. Cars behave differently when they're full and this catches out a lot of young drivers. 35 on a wet round doesn't sound too bad on the face of it but if the corner has adverse camber then it could explain it. Perhaps some of that high grip orangey tarmac might be a good plan? That would keep people on the road. Some of those big chevron signs or a slow thing marked on the road with an advisory speed might do the trick and be far less damaging to the environment and everyone's suspension.
You won't get anything done until actual injuries occur. Plus as you have had two close together the probability is you won't have any more for ages and things will return to normal. There was a spate of accidents at a junction up near me. 4 in about 4 months. Not had one for ages since then.
teabelly
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Speed bumps will make any mishaps worse.
Imagine...corner - wet - speed - car destablilized by braking for or going at speed over speed hump - loses control - BANG.
Or...corner - snow - obscuration of speed hump - car destabilizes - skid - BANG.
There.
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Yes speed humps slow some people down but not everyone. Our estate was built about 6 years ago, it is all short straights and turns and every junction/ turn is like a raised speed hump in block paving. You cannot safely drive round it at much more than 15mph, but someone managed to lose control and take out a bollard last Saturday night.
Theres a 30mph road round the corner with speed humps on, all flat top pyramid shaped so that cars are supposed to have to slow but emergency vehicles can straddle them. Some are concrete with sharp edges which have to be driven over very gingerly with clunking suspension; but some are rubber and can be straddled and you hardly feel they are there. Some drivers accelerate and do upwards of 40mph over the rubber ones. I try to avoid the road altogether as theyre a nuisance, and you get people over-doing it, driving at 20 then braking to sub- 5mph for the speed humps...
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and you get people over-doing it, driving at 20 then braking to sub- 5mph for the speed humps...
Yep - that's me. I don't have a low-slung car, but I've lost count of the times that either the front end or the gearbox has made contact with the ground going over one of these dreadful obstacles. I won't risk it at all now, I crawl over the lot of them. I have even been overtaken, on speed bumps, by impatient idiots. They can risk their cars if they like but I'm not risking mine.
Can you sue the council for damage done to your car going over a speed-bump at 30 in a 30 zone? It would cripple my car if I tried it. What's the point of having a 30 limit if you're going to fill the road with hazards you can't do more than 10mph over?
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i'm going to side with both of you here........i always used to do 30mph over the damned things...large comfy well built car, it'll be built for this won't it.........er no.
both front ball joints and arms attached (cos they only come like that nowadays) and front suspension bushes.........has over the years meant a bill of over £700........all because i wished to travel along at the posted limit.
i slow down more now when there are some...............but still don't see why i should have to
thankfully my council has taken the things out, but very few have
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What's the point of having a 30 limit if you're going to fill the road with hazards you can't do more than 10mph over?
Err. It's a limit, not a target!!
Saying that, speed humps are horrible things aren't they?
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It wasn't a Focus saloon with dodgy front tyres, was it?
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I didn't see the miscreant, just the resulting damage.
:oP
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in reply to pologirl -
ask your council/councillor or transport division for advice. they may have a cheaper solution such as chicanes that slow traffic without having to go over speedbumps.
in reply to andytdi130 -
we all know the road you and pologirl are describing, because most backroomers had a lovely time at her birthday party while you were away in cologne two/three weeks ago ! :: ;-) ::
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If you want a speed hump, you must also want sleepless nights and disturbed relaxation, they make thundering noises, and can be felt through the structure of the house. If an empty tipper or flatbed goes over them, you'll spill you're cup of tea. It's like a Batallion's ten gun salute.
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Er... where did I say I *wanted* speed bumps? I don't want to have to drive over them any more than the rest of you, but something needs to be done on this bend in particular. Part of the problem is that the road leading to it is long and straight, and allows people to build up a lot of speed before braking for the bend (or not braking, or braking on the actual bend, which I've now seen the results of).
I don't know what the answer is, but the councillor has forwarded my email to the Highways people, so I shall wait to see what they say.
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Why not lobby for a banking PG? Then they can whip round it at an undiminished 230mph like those incredibly boring and incomprehensible US oval racers. But the rhythmic noise willl lull you and all your neighnbours into a dreamless beautykip.
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i was going to put i bet it was a saxo? but its a 106 ,same thing,they are too light on the back end and easily spin ive rebuilt a few of these and can testify the roof is strong after they have gone into fields etc by the young lad types.
get all neighbours to club together to buy a banger tax test and insure it and park it on the bend ,that way they will either slow done or hit that and that will save your walls
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get all neighbours to club together to buy a banger tax test and insure it and park it on the bend ,that way they will either slow done or hit that and that will save your walls
I am disappointed that no one likes my banking idea.
If you must follow om's advice, make it a big banger. One of those rusty LR Defenders, or even a clapped, just-legal 3-tonner.
That ought to do the trick.
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How about a skip, with a licence!
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See PG - you should've kept Polo after all!!! ;-)
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Maybe the council can coat the road in a high-traction dressing, hopefully the two-pack resin bonded type rather than the cheaper mastic adhesive that melts in summer.
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Its not the kind of road you'd want to encourage them to continue to drive round at 35mph! It's a very quiet residential street where kids play, old ladies walk dogs, and people have to reverse off their drives...
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Maybe reverse into the drive?
SWMBO always drives in forwards: last year her car was hit by the person in the house opposite as boith reversed out at the same time. I managed to stay married by not saying smugly that it couldn't have happened to me - but I do always reverse in.
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