Discussion
These are one of my pet hates and would welcome a sort of 'straw poll' from around the country.
We have lots of these locally (they are appearing like oversize mushrooms, now almost overnight in some cases) and are now getting worked into 20 mph limit zones. To an extent, I can see some merit when placed around schools but, to the question....
We have several roads in a well off, affluent, town with a strong community council, that are ripe for calming, (roads and council!!) especially around a couple of the primary schools/nurseries. However.... Such is the word power of the council, they positively refuse to allow them to be sighted in their historic town as they are an eysore and would spoil the image.
Other towns are less lucky and end up with tar mountains all over the place.
Any others got a similar tale? Would be interested to see if any other 'historic' towns can have a similar power of veto on the traffic managers.
We have lots of these locally (they are appearing like oversize mushrooms, now almost overnight in some cases) and are now getting worked into 20 mph limit zones. To an extent, I can see some merit when placed around schools but, to the question....
We have several roads in a well off, affluent, town with a strong community council, that are ripe for calming, (roads and council!!) especially around a couple of the primary schools/nurseries. However.... Such is the word power of the council, they positively refuse to allow them to be sighted in their historic town as they are an eysore and would spoil the image.
Other towns are less lucky and end up with tar mountains all over the place.
Any others got a similar tale? Would be interested to see if any other 'historic' towns can have a similar power of veto on the traffic managers.
the "traffic managers" you refer to are usually employees of (or working on behalf of) the local council who are usually also the highway authority (the county council in England & Wales). The County Council will normally set its own policy on speed humps or any other traffic calming.
Usually they work along with the district or town councils within their areas - who don't have a formal "veto" because they are not their roads, but might be able to persuade the County Council to agree otherwise (possibly at a political level, not necessarily officials).
Different situation in Scotland - each Council is its own roads authority so can do whatever it likes.
Exception in all cases are trunk roads, which are directly managed by the Government (Highways Agency in E&W, Scottish Exec in Scotland). Don't normally get road humps on trunk roads though (yes I know there are exceptions, but normally not).
Usually they work along with the district or town councils within their areas - who don't have a formal "veto" because they are not their roads, but might be able to persuade the County Council to agree otherwise (possibly at a political level, not necessarily officials).
Different situation in Scotland - each Council is its own roads authority so can do whatever it likes.
Exception in all cases are trunk roads, which are directly managed by the Government (Highways Agency in E&W, Scottish Exec in Scotland). Don't normally get road humps on trunk roads though (yes I know there are exceptions, but normally not).
So, for the inner city would you complain to the local council? Which department? Here in Nottingham there are plenty of humps which are to big and you can't drive over them at 30 mph which is the speed limit in force.
Didn't somebody say that this would class them as an obstruction of the highway?
Boosted.
Didn't somebody say that this would class them as an obstruction of the highway?
Boosted.
I hate speed humps as they can damage your car if you have lowered suspension. I have seen some really enormous ones that sit in the middle of the road, and look as if they will rip your spoiler,crankcase, and exhaust off your car, but i noticed a lot of locals were driving 4x4's to get round this.
When I am out in my TVR locally I am the bane of everyones life - I cant get over the speed lumps so I have to go between them - yes around here they are spaced far enough apart to allow this. But to do that I have to wait for a gap in the oncoming traffic. I am just waiting for my first road rage incident when I have held up 20+ cars while waiting for a traffic gap.
There are another type here too, that you drive over with a wheel on each hump - I can get over those but only at less than walking pace. Had some very close calls when I stop in the road then crawl forward and the drivers behind havent noticed....
And of course I then blast full throttle up to the next speed hump which I bet the people living by the road really love late at night as the TVR isnt the quietest when flat out :-)
There are another type here too, that you drive over with a wheel on each hump - I can get over those but only at less than walking pace. Had some very close calls when I stop in the road then crawl forward and the drivers behind havent noticed....
And of course I then blast full throttle up to the next speed hump which I bet the people living by the road really love late at night as the TVR isnt the quietest when flat out :-)
rich-uk said:
They're pointless. The bigger and heavier the car, the faster you can go over them.
If I was going to be run over (and I wouldn't because I can cross the road properly) I'd rather be hit by a small, light car then a big 4x4.
Ironic isn't it...the same sort of people who want these idiotic traffic calming measures everywhere are the same ones who want people not to drive 4x4's...but then encourage people to buy 4x4's by putting bloody speed humps everywhere. You couldn't make it up...AlexH said:
They're pointless. The bigger and heavier the car, the faster you can go over them.
If I was going to be run over (and I wouldn't because I can cross the road properly) I'd rather be hit by a small, light car then a big 4x4.
DANGER: 4X4 APPROACHING
article said:
Pedestrians are twice as likely to die if hit by them compared to other cars.
I thought this was bull because you get a nice spread of pressure rather than first having your shins shattered, then your knees buckled, then you headbutt the bonnet? Not that I'm going to get run over any time soon, as has been said, I was taught to cross the road properly!
Agree about these things - most hated for me are the cushion ones.
My car is hardly hardcore, but with a 25mm drop and big front and rear overhangs I have to crawl over them at less than walking space. People get annoyed, hoot, even overtake me while I'm doing it. If I try to straddle the cushion the exhaust grounds, so I have to straddle the gap. Now I spent hundreds on new springs and shocks about 6 months ago and I am sick of these idiotic half-baked schemes ruining them
Even worse are the ones they put in line with traffic islands. For these, I have to drive at the island, and at the last moment do a left-right, so only part of the car goes up over it.
The other night was driving down that little road that cuts from the south circular towards gypsy hill in west dulwich which is covered in the damn things - in my rear view it looked like the warm up lap at the le mans 24h, headlights swerving all over the place! Utter madness
My car is hardly hardcore, but with a 25mm drop and big front and rear overhangs I have to crawl over them at less than walking space. People get annoyed, hoot, even overtake me while I'm doing it. If I try to straddle the cushion the exhaust grounds, so I have to straddle the gap. Now I spent hundreds on new springs and shocks about 6 months ago and I am sick of these idiotic half-baked schemes ruining them
Even worse are the ones they put in line with traffic islands. For these, I have to drive at the island, and at the last moment do a left-right, so only part of the car goes up over it.
The other night was driving down that little road that cuts from the south circular towards gypsy hill in west dulwich which is covered in the damn things - in my rear view it looked like the warm up lap at the le mans 24h, headlights swerving all over the place! Utter madness
Moo Moo said:
I believe around 7 years ago Reading council put loads of these buggers around the place. Then the ambulance guys complained as their vans were getting damaged by them. The had to rip them all up and put in the ones with gaps. What a waste of money!
Even better - round here they favour putting whole mini roundabouts on a giant raised platform. First time they tried this out along comes a bus - can you guess how this finishes ? Yup bus sat on top of roundabout front and rear wheels in the air. Cue large crowd and much scratching of heads.
I have to cope with various different speeds bumps,normal humps across the road,the lump in the middle of each lane and those raised juntions..All of which slow me down to a virtual stop but everyone else just continues on a normal speeds..What is the point.
The lumps in the middle of each lane make me laugh as they are the perfect size so every normal car can go over them without even noticing.What a waste of money..
I could get started on rumble strips across the road aswell..they are appearing everywhere now...
The lumps in the middle of each lane make me laugh as they are the perfect size so every normal car can go over them without even noticing.What a waste of money..
I could get started on rumble strips across the road aswell..they are appearing everywhere now...
I've often wondered what they are actually for. If the road has a thirty limit and if it is safe to do so surely you should be able to travel the length of that road at 30mph!! If they feel the need to slow traffic down, REDUCE THE SPEED LIMIT so we can all use the road safely. I am in the process of buying a Noble and I dread to think of the roads around Berkshire I won't be able to use 'cos of these humps! There are some humps in Hampshire that are so badly designed that the faster you take them the more comfortable it is!! 
as the boy racers in the area delight in demonstrating!
There are some humps in Hampshire that are so badly designed that the faster you take them the more comfortable it is!! as the boy racers in the area delight in demonstrating!pbsaxman said:
I've often wondered what they are actually for. If the road has a thirty limit and if it is safe to do so surely you should be able to travel the length of that road at 30mph!! If they feel the need to slow traffic down, REDUCE THE SPEED LIMIT so we can all use the road safely. I am in the process of buying a Noble and I dread to think of the roads around Berkshire I won't be able to use 'cos of these humps!
I am sure there is a speed that I could go over them where I would miss the exhaust silencer altogether, don't have the balls to risk it though...I'm seriously tempted to go out and measure some of the speed humps as I'm sure they are bigger than the specifications allow.
www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1999/19991025.htm
www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1999/19991025.htm
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