Drivers demand dangerous speed humps be dumped

[Taf]

The Association of British Drivers has renewed its call for all speed humps to be removed from British roads after a speed hump caused a serious accident.

According to a report in the Manchester Evening News a police Transit van, responding to a 999 call, lost control upon hitting a speed hump in Ashby Close, Bolton, causing it to become airborne. The van then hit an oncoming car, and crashed into a garden where it hit six people who were standing in the garden, including a 8 year old boy.

ABD Spokesman Nigel Humphries said "It is only by some miracle that no-one was killed here. We get to get away from the simplistic notion that speed humps make roads safer, they do not, they often make them more dangerous. "

The ABD has compiled a comprehensive list of problems associated with speed humps, and some forward thinking local authorities such as the London Borough of Barnet have already begun removing them. Yet in other areas they are still being installed with no thought whatsoever for the consequences.

ABD Chairman Brian Gregory added: "Speed humps are nothing more than inverted pot holes, they are a danger to all road users. As long ago as the early 70's a woman cyclist was killed in Swindon when a speed hump caused her to fall and be hit by a vehicle --- that speed hump was subsequently removed. Yet when the government thought people had forgotten about this tragedy, they started installing them again. "

http://www.nationwideautocentres.co.uk/enews.asp

I have never seen a speedbump slow down a speeding car (usually nicked) but I have experienced the pain when in a bus going over a series of them (post vasectomy  ).

They break buses, ambulances, fireengines and delivery trucks... but don't do what they're supposed to do!!

[Anna]

They are a nightmare, they scrape the bottom of my car and catch the mudflaps.  Its a horrible noise if I have the drive over them so we take alternate routes.

[Nanaof2]

I used to be a constable - I was speeding to a call on blues and 2s and had to drive over a series of speed humps. The car I was driving was a peugeot 309 (it WAS a long time ago!) with a spare tyre under the rear of the chassis - and - you've guessed it - the last hump caused the tyre to fall off - much to the great delight of a group of kids who were watching - I turned off the lights, hauled the tyre onto the back seat of the car and slunk off to cat calls galore! 

get rid of speed humps I say!