Speed Humps in Bromley
Speed humps are a fact of life across London nowadays. So, what are the local objections to speed humps?
1. They are uncomfortable, or indeed painful to many people. research makes clear, speed humps only work when they are uncomfortable. Unfortunately, many people who suffer from medical conditions such as back problems (one of the most common medical complaints), recent abdominal surgery or other disabilities find them extremely painful.
2. They are a very blunt instrument. In fact, different vehicles respond very differently with heavy vehicles such as HGVs, buses and other public service vehicles being particularly prone to discomfort unless humps are traversed at very low speeds. It is simply impossible to design a speed hump that is negotiable comfortably at a reasonable speed by all vehicles and which is not painful to the occupants.
3. Speed humps have been known to cause accidents and injuries. For example, there was the case of the motorcyclist who hit a speed hump in Wood Lane, Isleworth in 2001 at much less than 30 mph. He was ejected from the bike and suffered serious injuries from which he is now paralyzed from the waist down. Several cases of broken backs have been reported in Scandinavia, including one in Norway where a bus passenger was injured when the bus went over a speed hump which was hidden by snow.
A similar example was that of Neil Price of Kendal, Cumbria who was riding in the back of a bus when it went over a speed hump – the result was two broken vertebrae and spinal damage resulting in paralysis. Another case was in the London Borough of Sutton in 2004 where a police car spun off the road and hit a tree injuring PC Stephen Poole who had to be rescued from the smoke-filled vehicle by a colleague, after it hit a speed hump.
4. They frequently cause damage to vehicles, even at normal speed levels, but it is legally very difficult to make a claim against a local authority as a result. This problem particularly affects older, heavier vehicles or those with low ground clearance. In addition, there is the concern that they cause damage to tyres which can result in catastrophic failure of the side walls at high speed.
5. Speed humps cause atmospheric pollution from the speeding up and slowing down of traffic between the humps. In addition, the use of bumps and cushions seems to encourage the use of larger vehicles which are more polluting. They can also cause increased noise from heavy vehicles, and in extreme cases, subsidence of the road and buildings alongside due to the ground pressure waves that are created.
6. Speed humps create additional road maintenance costs because the road surface before and after a hump tends to develop potholes after a couple of years. This results in much heavier maintenance costs than normal. In addition to fully resurface the road it is often necessary to remove and replace the speed humps, which also adds to the cost.
Speed humps Q&A
1. Do Road users have to be consulted on their installation?
For a traffic calming scheme, road users legally must be consulted. In addition, details would normally be published in a local paper. There will usually be small signs placed on the street and a consultation leaflet circulated to residents. However, it is quite likely that most road users will not be aware of such notices. The views of residents will take priority and road users views are likely to be ignored. For individual humps or speed tables, there are no legal obligations for consultation.
2. What are the regulations on hump size and spacing?
In Bromley most humps are 75 mm high, although legally they can be higher. There are also government guidelines on the shapes of humps and their spacing.
3. Is reducing the number of humps by increased spacing a good idea?
No. Increasing the spacing simply causes vehicles to speed up and slowdown in between them.
4. What do they cost?
About £2,000 upwards for a speed hump, and maybe £10,000 for speed tables which are more complex and larger. A typical traffic calming scheme can easily cost £100,000 in a short stretch of road.
5. Why are speed tables or cushions used sometimes?
Speed tables are used at junctions (a hump cannot normally be near a junction) or under zebra crossings or mini roundabouts. Cushions (a euphemism for split humps) are used where buses or other PSVs are likely to use the route (speed humps are simply too uncomfortable) – such vehicles can in theory straddle a cushion, but often the presence of parked cars alongside stops this.
6. Are there alternatives to using speed humps to cut dangerous traffic speeds, e.g. near known hazards?
Yes. At junctions (which are often the location of many accidents), mini-roundabouts or speed tables can be used. The former does tend to result in minor vehicle damage accidents, however. The latter can be more comfortable than speed humps, but still very effective at cutting speeds (as in Blackbrook Lane, Bickley for example). Other alternatives are improved signage, “gateway” treatments of various kinds including width restrictions, rumble strips, and other devices.
As to which is most appropriate depends on the nature of the road and the hazards present in it. In fact, it is usually cheaper and more effective to make minor changes to road markings, curb lines, improve sight lines and signage to tackle road safety problems, although unfortunately putting in speed bumps is often seen as a cheaper and simpler option (they require less thought) than really tackling the source of accidents in a proper manner.
7. Why do residents sometimes vote for speed humps?
Firstly, because the council normally doesn’t offer them any alternatives. Secondly because of the selfish desire to encourage traffic to divert elsewhere, which results in someone else suffering from the noise and pollution.
8. Are speed cameras an alternative to speed humps?
In most cases no. Speed cameras are very expensive (up to £50,000 each) but are also only effective on a very short stretch of road – people quickly learn where they are, slow down before and speed up afterwards. Therefore, they are best positioned at accident black spots. Obviously the “running” costs of a speed camera are also much higher.