Road surfacing and traffic calming measures
10 March 2008, 09:09 PM
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Road surfacing and traffic calming measures
I have a question for the SN masses...
After reading a letter in AutoExpress this week, which sounded very much like me, I was left wondering the following. I thought maybe someone might have a little info on it all.
Various local authorities have implimented various traffic calming measures, many rather flawed. badly constructed speed humps, poorly thought out chicanes with usually badly thought out priorities, speed cushions which cause people to swerve all over the place but not slow down....
However there is one other that seems overlooked, yet one of the most successful.
Rumble patches!
On the approaches to some roundabouts on fast A-roads, and found in some towns, there are surfaces laid down which cause a rippled effect, which gives a vibration in the car as you pass over it. Seemingly the faster you go, the more uncomfortable it becomes. Im sure there is of course a cut off point for this. Sensible speeds, give you smooth passage.
Round by me there has been a section on a busy road for absolute years, with a sign saying experimental road surface. Its not worn, remains effective, and seems quite a cheap system. Along with that, I would imagine its quicker to lay than speed humps are, does not smash the hell out of lowered cars, but still slows them, requires minimum maintainance, and could not be laid in the same NON uniform method that speed humps are.
Anyone driven over this, and think it would be a good idea for school zones, residential zones etc?
My final point on it is, given the volume of materials used, surely whole roads could be covered in this, making it far more effective than the occasional humps.
After reading a letter in AutoExpress this week, which sounded very much like me, I was left wondering the following. I thought maybe someone might have a little info on it all.
Various local authorities have implimented various traffic calming measures, many rather flawed. badly constructed speed humps, poorly thought out chicanes with usually badly thought out priorities, speed cushions which cause people to swerve all over the place but not slow down....
However there is one other that seems overlooked, yet one of the most successful.
Rumble patches!
On the approaches to some roundabouts on fast A-roads, and found in some towns, there are surfaces laid down which cause a rippled effect, which gives a vibration in the car as you pass over it. Seemingly the faster you go, the more uncomfortable it becomes. Im sure there is of course a cut off point for this. Sensible speeds, give you smooth passage.
Round by me there has been a section on a busy road for absolute years, with a sign saying experimental road surface. Its not worn, remains effective, and seems quite a cheap system. Along with that, I would imagine its quicker to lay than speed humps are, does not smash the hell out of lowered cars, but still slows them, requires minimum maintainance, and could not be laid in the same NON uniform method that speed humps are.
Anyone driven over this, and think it would be a good idea for school zones, residential zones etc?
My final point on it is, given the volume of materials used, surely whole roads could be covered in this, making it far more effective than the occasional humps.
10 March 2008, 09:14 PM
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I imagine it's a bitch to dig up and re-lay when they inevitably rip the road up to put whatever crap they do under them before they throw down some poor quality tarmac and create their own unintentional rumble strip.
10 March 2008, 10:10 PM
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They already have this by not resurfacing the road when they should ....
Seriously, bad idea. Speaking as a motorcyclist. If you have to brake over these - you lose (or can lose) control. Same for braking over them in a car - though you'll probably just take longer to stop.
If I was in power I'd make councils take up ALL rumble strips (that are across the road - not by the side of m'ways) and humps! Cause more accidents than they stop, IMHO though there's probably evidence to that effect somewhere.
Dave
Seriously, bad idea. Speaking as a motorcyclist. If you have to brake over these - you lose (or can lose) control. Same for braking over them in a car - though you'll probably just take longer to stop.
If I was in power I'd make councils take up ALL rumble strips (that are across the road - not by the side of m'ways) and humps! Cause more accidents than they stop, IMHO though there's probably evidence to that effect somewhere.
Dave
10 March 2008, 10:21 PM
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They already have this by not resurfacing the road when they should ....
Seriously, bad idea. Speaking as a motorcyclist. If you have to brake over these - you lose (or can lose) control. Same for braking over them in a car - though you'll probably just take longer to stop.
If I was in power I'd make councils take up ALL rumble strips (that are across the road - not by the side of m'ways) and humps! Cause more accidents than they stop, IMHO though there's probably evidence to that effect somewhere.
Dave
Seriously, bad idea. Speaking as a motorcyclist. If you have to brake over these - you lose (or can lose) control. Same for braking over them in a car - though you'll probably just take longer to stop.
If I was in power I'd make councils take up ALL rumble strips (that are across the road - not by the side of m'ways) and humps! Cause more accidents than they stop, IMHO though there's probably evidence to that effect somewhere.
Dave
I agree: Rumbles strips are lethal for bikes.
And almost as lethal for cars: I've been sent into a mass of ABS/DSC madness just becuase the car went over some strips.
Worst time was when I was braking to turn off the main road, and I just happened to be travelling at such a speed (20mph ish) and braking at such a level (lightly) that it to caused the front suspension to resonate, oscillate and bounce (much like how unloaded trailers on artic trucks bounce when braking hard). This caused the ABS to interact and make it worse! The result was I lost front end grip!
Obviously braking harder, or removing the brakes stopped the front end bouncing and oscillating. But its an extremely un-nerving experience, that would make the average feejit driver freeze in panic.
All because of some rumble strips.
10 March 2008, 10:23 PM
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They're crap and annoying! 
We have them coming into our village, I know the village is there, I know the speed limit, I don't speed yet I'm punished the same as the idiots who know the village is there, know the speed limit and still speed anyway! And we have them going out of some villages here, why?! 
We also have at sign that flashes at you if you do more than 30.0000000000000000001 mph, it tells you to slow down and that the speed limit is 30 mph. Again, utter crap as no one pays any attention to it...well I spose I do as every time I pass it I go 'grrr, poxy bleedin sign' etc.
Get rid of humps, bumps, lumps, strips, flashing signs, cameras Make the test harder, get rid of crap drivers, stop the unnecessary focus on speed and bring back decent traffic police. Problems on our roads, DONE! [/Gordon Ramsey]
We have them coming into our village, I know the village is there, I know the speed limit, I don't speed yet I'm punished the same as the idiots who know the village is there, know the speed limit and still speed anyway!
And we have them going out of some villages here, why?! We also have at sign that flashes at you if you do more than 30.0000000000000000001 mph, it tells you to slow down and that the speed limit is 30 mph. Again, utter crap as no one pays any attention to it...well I spose I do as every time I pass it I go 'grrr, poxy bleedin sign' etc.
Get rid of humps, bumps, lumps, strips, flashing signs, cameras Make the test harder, get rid of crap drivers, stop the unnecessary focus on speed and bring back decent traffic police. Problems on our roads, DONE! [/Gordon Ramsey]
10 March 2008, 11:04 PM
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I can't physically get to my mate's house in my Skyline without grinding the bumper and exhaust into oblivion thanks to the stupidly high (but within spec, apparently) speed cushions and speed humps, they've built a chicane near us that has ended up as a chicken run 'cos no one will give way, another chicane where one way always has priority over the other, which means that people from that direction drive through at 35mph without thinking, despite the fact that there's not enough visibility to allow someone to move off safely after giving way in the other direction before the next maniac comes barrelling round the corner.
All of these measures are crap and don't contribute to road safety one iota.
All of these measures are crap and don't contribute to road safety one iota.
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11 March 2008, 12:42 AM
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Notts. County Council (or the Highways Authority, whoever) had to remove some rumble strips from the A52 because of the noise affecting a nearby caravan park.
They'd only been down a couple of months so God knows how much money was wasted on the scheme
They'd only been down a couple of months so God knows how much money was wasted on the scheme
11 March 2008, 12:30 PM
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We have got a few of those around here. They are annoying and don't actually do anything extra to warn of junctions etc. They are also a liability as was mentioned on a motor 'bike if you have to manoeuvre or stop for any reason.
If you have not seen the hazard ahead before you reach the rumble strips then you should not be driving anyway.
I agree about the poorly constructed road humps. they are pretty bad for your car's suspension over time and the job would be much better done by the use of speed sensitive flashing signs and speed cameras close to the hazard, erected in such a way that you cant miss seeing them.
Les
If you have not seen the hazard ahead before you reach the rumble strips then you should not be driving anyway.
I agree about the poorly constructed road humps. they are pretty bad for your car's suspension over time and the job would be much better done by the use of speed sensitive flashing signs and speed cameras close to the hazard, erected in such a way that you cant miss seeing them.
Les
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