7 replies to this topic

[JohnTheMiNiMaN1275]

Is there any kind of protest group going that try to get speed bumps made more Mini friendly?
The reason I ask is because Sheffield Council are about to put some in near where I live, and it is going to be hell getting to and from home.

Regards
John

[Steely]

Welcome to the forum and I know what you mean with the lumps in the road. If I can I usually just drive inbetween them as my mini just about fits :)

[Wise Old Elf]

The DFT recommends the dimensions of speed cushions and humps and spacings. The recommendations are based on years of trials of varying sizes and consultation with the emergency services. Most speed reduction areas are designed so that the majority of vehicles are forced to physically obey the new reduced speed limit without a Police presence. This does mean that ambulances and fire rescue vehicles are able to straddle speed cushions and as a consequence wide track vehicles such as 4x4 will also not be affected.

In over 10 years of installing these I have never had 100% consultees happy but they do reduce vehicle speeds and as such they do save lives. If people did not drive way beyond the speed limit we would not be able to install them. We have to do before and after speed surveys and the DFT does also give us guidance for installation speeds.

If you do not agree with the installation you need to speak to your local Councillor.

[joewf10]

do you know the height of a standard hump? or do they vary because the ones at my college are lubriciously high!

[JohnTheMiNiMaN1275]

The DFT recommends the dimensions of speed cushions and humps and spacings. The recommendations are based on years of trials of varying sizes and consultation with the emergency services. Most speed reduction areas are designed so that the majority of vehicles are forced to physically obey the new reduced speed limit without a Police presence. This does mean that ambulances and fire rescue vehicles are able to straddle speed cushions and as a consequence wide track vehicles such as 4x4 will also not be affected.

In over 10 years of installing these I have never had 100% consultees happy but they do reduce vehicle speeds and as such they do save lives. If people did not drive way beyond the speed limit we would not be able to install them. We have to do before and after speed surveys and the DFT does also give us guidance for installation speeds.

If you do not agree with the installation you need to speak to your local Councillor.

I have consulted with my councillor and got nowhere. The council just do whatever they want.
The irony here is that there are to be two humps, one of 3-blocks, and one full width. We have several of the latter around and they slow all vehicles down, without risking damaging them. They also allow vehicles to drive across in any position. The 3-block ones are a waste of space, as cars just speed across them, straddling one block. In my wife's car I can manage 25-30 mph without problem, and I recently took a hire car over some (quiet road) at 40 mph without any discomfort - and this wasn't a big 4x4, this was a Vauxhall Corsa. There are other speed bumps nearby (full width again) that have been constructed so well that they are perfect in every car at 30 mph, but I wouldn't want to try any faster (not that I get chance because everyone else is, quite rightly, doing 25-30 mph, therefore so am I.

I think I (and all Mini owners) have the right to drive up this road at the same (safe) speed as everybody else, but obviously it's one rule for some and one for the others.

Gonna be fun in the snow when (assuming I remember where the humps are under the snow) coming up the hill I slow to 2 mph to negotiate the humps - then get stuck in the middle of the road because of losing momentum. That'll be safe huh?

[JohnTheMiNiMaN1275]

Welcome to the forum and I know what you mean with the lumps in the road. If I can I usually just drive inbetween them as my mini just about fits :)

Thank you for the welcome
The humps will be 3 in a line; my mini only normally fits through the ones which are 2 in a line because they are spaced wider apart.
With the 3 I have to mount 2 of them so that the lower part of the car is over the gap between the humps, for which speed drops down to lower than walking pace. Higher vehicles can straddle a hump - some will reduce speed (indicating that they work) but a fair number will stick at 30 mph or above (proving that they don't work all the time). I recently tried some (quiet road in a hired Corsa) and managed 40 mph with no discomfort - further proof that they don't work all the time

[JohnTheMiNiMaN1275]

do you know the height of a standard hump? or do they vary because the ones at my college are lubriciously high!

There is a standard height, but it's not based on cars that sit low, like a Mini (amongst others)

[Wise Old Elf]

do you know the height of a standard hump? or do they vary because the ones at my college are lubriciously high!

There is a standard height, but it's not based on cars that sit low, like a Mini (amongst others)

The recommended height is 75mm but your college would not be classified as Public Highway.

Here's some further reading http://www.scribd.co...92/Traffic-Calm