I'm suddenly an eco-nut - down with speedbumps....

Blitzkrieger

.....The traffic-calming measures double the carbon dioxide emissions and fuel consumption by forcing drivers to brake and accelerate repeatedly, according to a study commissioned by the AA. A car that achieves 58.15 miles per gallon travelling at a steady 30mph will deliver only 30.85mpg when going over humps......A motorist who observed the speed limit on one mile of 20mph road during a daily journey would produce an extra tonne of CO2 in a year compared with driving at 30mph on the same stretch.............The London Ambulance Service has claimed that the 30,000 humps on the capital’s roads cause up to 500 deaths a year because its crews suffer delays in reaching victims of cardiac arrest.......

Source : timesonline.co.uk

I bet the green party will leap into action to save lives and the planet by legislating against uneccesary speed restrictions. Or they'll do **** all, vote themselves a higher salary and put in more cameras to collect revenue instead.

I wonder what odds Paddy Powers would give.......

alias no.9

IIRC the green party have spoken on this before. Not sure I'd be able to find a link though.

chris85

The speed bumps with the gaps in them are so much better. Easier for buses and emergency vehicles to get through. We cant have emergency vehicles slowing down for ramps, waste of time

Mickk

I was only thinking about emissions yesterday, they have destroyed a lovely driving road the lower road along the liffey (strawberry beds) with bumps every hundred meters or so... Constantly slowing and accelerating is the complete opposite of what they tell us to do on the uk goverment ad on tv with the engines on wheels.

BlackWizard

I think speed bumps are fine once they let you go the legal speed limit. Most of the ones I experience on my daily drive, make me drop down into second gear when I should be cruising along in fourth.

I love the speed bumps on Fassaugh Avenue, beside Nephin Road. If you go above the speed limit, the bumps definitely let you know. But they are fine when going at or near the speed limit. I'd say an emergency services vehicle with a confident driver, could speed over them bumps and maintain control of the vehicle.

Tabnabs

Take the speed ramps out and replace every one with a traffic camera (with film inside the camera :rolleyes: )

They would make a fortune & a huge difference out in Tallafornia.

Speed ramps with bits missing are pointless as they don't encourage drivers to slow down.

Cookie_Monster

Dyflin wrote: »

Speed ramps with bits missing are pointless as they don't encourage drivers to slow down.

+1, they also encourage people to swerve out between lanes to "make" the gap on some roads.

javaboy

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

+1, they also encourage people to swerve out between lanes to "make" the gap on some roads.

I know what you mean. If you're one of those people who insists on avoiding the ramp, sometimes you have to go on the other side of the road. Ridiculous.

The shallow(ish) ramps seem to work well. On some you can stick to about 40-45 kmh comfortably but I hate the steep short ones that are uncomfortable at any speed.

chris85

javaboy wrote: »

The shallow(ish) ramps seem to work well. On some you can stick to about 40-45 kmh comfortably but I hate the steep short ones that are uncomfortable at any speed.

Agree with that. Need a ramp that emergency services can go over at a good speed. The steep ones are not good. Also the steep one require more maintenance as they usually get hit with more force due to their incline. most of the ramps requiring maintenance are the steep ones.

zilog_jones

javaboy wrote: »

The shallow(ish) ramps seem to work well. On some you can stick to about 40-45 kmh comfortably

There used to be a few of these around Limerick (like around Mary I) but they keep making the things bigger! :mad:

mike65

The speed ramps on the South Circular raod in Limerick were terrible then they smoothed the edges off.

Speedramps encourage noise, fuel wastage and erratic driving and as such have no place on the roads.

Mike.

E92

Speed ramps are bad for the underside of the car, slow you down and waste more fuel and therefore should be banished for good!

SV

Speed ramps cause accidents at night as they are hard to see.
Ever hit a speed ramp too fast? the car bottoms out and you lose control.

Down with speed ramps.

BlackWizard

Reflectors or "cat's eyes" on the speed bumps would be nice too.