Let sleeping policemen lie?
It seems that the Conservatives are proposing the removal of all speed humps from British roads within two years, claiming the evidence is inconclusive and and it slows down the emergency services. However, the statistics seem to show that speed humps reduce fatalities by between 17% and 59%. Well, I live with speed humps. I drive over them daily. I live on a road which has them. I walk along roads with them. I've even contemplated them sociologically and philosophically. I am, I would say, an independent expert on my local speed humps.
So here's what I think:
- Speed humps get installed mainly to placate local residents over the hordes of ill mannered killer rat-runners. But then most really bad driving in the vicinity of speed humps is due to residents, not them that use the road as a "rat-run". Furthermore humps have no noticeable effect on cutting down the total amount of "rat-runners". However the seems to be some effect on the types of "rat-runner" - more soft-roaders, less cars.
- When installed speed humps can usually be driven over at precicely the posted speed limit. However they soon degrade. And the slower you make people drive over the bumps the more they'll accelerate afterwards. So after about six months the average speed of traffic is back to pre-hump levels.
- Drivers on roads with speed humps pay less attention to the conditions of the road as they are busy paying attention to the next hump. Which makes the road considerably more dangerous. However, the negotiation of humps, and the post hump acceleration, causes more noise, and it seems to be the noise which alerts pedestrians to take extra care.
As to my opinion on the Conservative proposals. Well it's nothing but a ploy to get votes. It's not like they care enough to actually want to make things better.