The local council in my neighbourhood have put in more ‘traffic calming’ measures, meaning that I now drive over an extra speed bump per day. Yes ok, it’s only one, but outgoing and return journeys mean I have to drive over it twice. My car is now approaching the 100,000 mile marker (quite a lot for a 1.8 litre petrol) and I think it’s starting to suffer. What makes me say that?
Well, the parcel shelf is loose and there’s an annoying rattle coming from… somewhere! I’m not sure I can isolate the cause but then I haven’t had the time to give the car a full inspection. It’s worth noting that it’s had a full service and MOT, so it shouldn’t be anything mechanical that I need to worry about. Nonetheless, it’s extremely annoying.
It could well be that the speed bumps are slowly destroying my car (I drive over probably 3 a day, twice a day) – in the same way that a Lancia will slowly vanish if allowed to stay out in rain. Then again, I suppose my motor is getting to be ten years old. Maybe they just don’t build things to last any more. Make my next car a 2.0 litre diesel!
Dorset Driving School says
January 25, 2011 at 12:20 pmThese traffic calming devices in my experience as a Driving instructor who takes driving lessons every day is that these simply cause people to speed up between them, making the road even more dangerous. We need to educate rather than put these things on our roads!
mpg says
January 25, 2011 at 3:59 pmIt is a sad reflection,that councils have to put in speed bumps in the first place. Its telling the average motorist that you cannot be trusted to keep within the signs recommended speed limits in urban area’s.
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Mr Butterscotch says
January 30, 2011 at 7:48 pmWell, I think for most people the rush of modern life makes them forget the reason that they should slow down – and in urban areas that reason is the potential for children to simply run out into traffic.
Company Car Hire says
January 31, 2011 at 3:03 pmAlthough speed bumps are considered a nuisance, speed humps were associated with a 53-60% reduction in the odds of injury or death among children struck by an automobile in their neighborhoods (American Journal of Public Health).