RITF
Research Institute for Transport Futures
Campaigning for Better and Safer Roads
Dump the Humps and Crush the Cushions
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The roads of Great Wyrley in Staffordshire have about 140 road humps that are being reviewed. Many of the ‘features’ were installed
outside the defined dimensions and some are so far outside reasonable tolerances
they require ‘RAMP’ warning signs. We also have 7 Gatso Cash Scameras,
and a Speed Camera Van that visits at least twice per week. In addition, Staffordshire
Police are 'actively encouraged' to use portable laser guns to ‘help combat speeding
motorists in Great Wyrley’!
Recently 10 full width humps have been removed, perhaps due to being placed in areas that
had no or very few accidents prior to installation. Another
10 full width humps have been amended to speed cushions. There will also be
an ongoing review of the rest of the scheme. As the late Paul Smith
of SafeSpeed reiterated, "First they ignore you, then they mock you, then they fight
you, then you win." (Mahatma Gandhi)
Disappearing Hump
Staffordshire County Council has
another medal to hang on their wall. 1). The Sunday Times for 21/04/02
confirmed that the most photographed stretch of highway in England, the A34, went
through Great Wyrley with its 7 speed cameras. 2). A road hump in Tower View
Road, Great Wyrley is top of the list of 'Worst Road Humps in Britain' drawn up
by Continental Tyres. The following explains why:
Worst Hump in Britain
A pair of innocuous looking
humps, shown above, in Tower View Road, Great Wyrley has been constructed in a slight
dip. However, they are the third attempt at this location. The top left
inset shows one of the humps after only a few months, it has been so badly damaged
that a complete new top was inserted. This soon degraded again as shown, so finally
both humps were completely reconstructed again from road level. The top right
inset shows regular flooding which occurs several times a year, during which time
the humps are just visible or more usually disappear beneath the water. The
main picture also shows patches of oil just beyond the humps, where yet another
car sump has been damaged.
Another Damaged Hump
Staffordshire County Council's Household Survey, Dec 2002,
stated that 58% of car owners reported hump damage to the underside of their vehicles
to exhausts, suspension components, steering, brakes, etc.
New Humps on Patched
Roads
Following the publication of the
Department for Transport’s Road Casualties Great Britain 2005, it is clear that
the claim, ‘one third of accidents are caused by speeding’, is completely indefensible.
It is only now that accurate facts, as opposed to supposition, are available and
proves that only 5% of accidents have excessive speed as a primary contributory factor.
The majority of road accidents are a mix of other causes, such as ‘failed to look
properly’, ‘road/environment’, ‘following too close’, etc., rather than down to the
simplistic catchall of excessive speed.
The figures also make clear that
taking a child to school by car is far safer than the child walking or cycling.
Official figures also show that in 1999 there were 55 fatalities on the roads of
Staffordshire, while during 2005 fatalities have risen to 59. Millions are
spent every year on scameras and humps without a reduction in fatalities since 1999.
In 95% of accidents causing death or injury, exceeding the speed limit is not even
a contributory factor, In addition some of the remaining 5% will involve unlicensed
drivers and/or stolen vehicles. (Association of British Drivers)
*TOP*
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To maintain independence, neither RITF nor WRATH
have ever been or are currently financed by, aligned with or support any political,
governmental or NGO organisation.
RITF is an independent,
impartial Road Safety Research venture which provides administrative support for
Wyrley Residents Against The Humps.
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