Speed Ramps

FloorBoard · 02-01-2009 7:45am #1

So the last few years has seen every local council putting lumps of concrete in the middle of the road. Now, maybe I am naive, but are roads not supposed to take a person from one place to another, not block the path?

My car is getting wrecked driving over these idiotic obstacles. And save all the "safety, blah, blah " rubbish.

Any opinions, has anyone got any opinions these days?

challengemaster · 02-01-2009 8:01am

Well, some may be warranted, but some are just a laugh. There also seem to be no restrictions on them at all. Every bloody one is different to the next one.

Whats more worrying is the fact there's probably 35+ roundabouts between galway and dublin easily. Also slapping a bit of play dough in the middle of the road, and painting the thing white classifies as a roundabout now too.. :rolleyes:

FloorBoard · 02-01-2009 8:06am

challengemaster wrote: »

. Every bloody one is different to the next one.

:rolleyes:

You got that right. Some you can zip over at 60 (mph that is I'm not european) others mash the car at just 25.

I've seen the jokers putting a few down, never seen such a set of chancers. Private contractors, could not care less. And sure if they are badly built they can always take them up and have another "go" the dumb taxpayer will pick up the bill.

m5ex9oqjawdg2i · 02-01-2009 8:10am

FloorBoard wrote: »

So the last few years has seen every local council putting lumps of concrete in the middle of the road. Now, maybe I am naive, but are roads not supposed to take a person from one place to another, not block the path?

My car is getting wrecked driving over these idiotic obstacles. And save all the "safety, blah, blah " rubbish.

Any opinions, has anyone got any opinions these days?

Their speed bumps, not walls. Maybe you should slow down, 40 Kmph is still fast for going over a speed bump.

I have a suggestion though, stop driving, let someone else do it, get a bike, use public transport or walk even.

L1011 · 02-01-2009 8:31am

Kildare County Council are fans of ones which need to be crossed at about 20km/h - which they seem to place exclusively in 50km/h zones. In fact, I've never seen a 30km/h zone in the entire county.

FloorBoard · 02-01-2009 8:33am

Maeve Hollow Streptococcus wrote: »

Their speed bumps, not walls. Maybe you should slow down, 40 Kmph is still fast for going over a speed bump.

.

And why is there something in the middleof the road to cause me such hindrance?

m5ex9oqjawdg2i · 02-01-2009 8:39am

FloorBoard wrote: »

And why is there something in the middleof the road to cause me such hindrance?

I now know that you are not serious, in fact I think you are posting just to troll...

You know the basic principles of a speed bump, right? You know their function? Please tell me you do.

Hagar · 02-01-2009 8:42am

If a road is signposted as being say 30kph then it should be safe and permissable to drive at 29kph down that road, shouldn't it? If people are constantly breaking a signed speed limit by all means put in a speed bump that can only be negotiated at that limit but don't put in a speed bump that can only be negotiated at 10kph. If you want me to drive at 10kph put up a speed limit sign that says 10kph. Otherwise put in speed bumps correctly engineered to match the posted limits. Is that too much to ask?

FloorBoard · 02-01-2009 8:45am

Hagar wrote: »

Otherwise put in speed bumps correctly engineered to match the posted limits. Is that too much to ask?

Anything approaching sanity would be too much. But then again, these people are not stupid, if they were I would not be paying 40% of my income each month. Maybe they have other motives, makes one think....

cyclopath2001 · 02-01-2009 9:16am

Hagar wrote: »

If a road is signposted as being say 30kph then it should be safe and permissable to drive at 29kph down that road, shouldn't it?

Under ideal driving conditions, yes: i.e. daylight, no parked vehicles, no children playing near the road, no elderly trying to cross, the sun not in anyone's eyes, good general visibility and a dry road surface.

Otherwise: it depends on what's appropriate.

Bandara · 02-01-2009 9:19am

Floor Board

For someone who just signed up for the "firstest time eva" this morning your really doing great.

I'd nearly swear that you had another username and were just posting tripe in a attention seeking cry for help.

Tip : If your going to try to be a troll at least be somewhat original.

There's a good lad.

FloorBoard · 02-01-2009 9:35am

cyclopath2001 wrote: »

Under ideal driving conditions, yes: i.e. daylight, no parked vehicles, no children playing near the road, no elderly trying to cross, the sun not in anyone's eyes, good general visibility and a dry road surface.

Otherwise: it depends on what's appropriate.

Works both ways. A lot of the time it is safe to drive at 100mph down the m1.

I think people are more than capable of adapting to conditions, no nanny state required.

bazz26 · 02-01-2009 9:37am

Lots of moaning here this morning. Can we get over it, please.

SoupyNorman · 02-01-2009 9:41am

Hammertime wrote: »

Floor Board

For someone who just signed up for the "firstest time eva" this morning your really doing great.

I'd nearly swear that you had another username and were just posting tripe in a attention seeking cry for help.

Tip : If your going to try to be a troll at least be somewhat original.

There's a good lad.

Seems like the guy is lobbing in Hot Topics of today's society, Next will be;

"Airline Peanuts, you can never open them, whats the deal with those?"

FloorBoard · 02-01-2009 9:44am

bravestarr082 wrote: »

Seems like the guy is lobbing in Hot Topics of today's society, Next will be;

"Airline Peanuts, you can never open them, whats the deal with those?"

Some chance. I don't do new Ireland "tatter talk". I don't have a favourite superhero, or cartoon for that matter.

SoupyNorman · 02-01-2009 10:03am

FloorBoard wrote: »

Some chance. I don't do new Ireland "tatter talk". I don't have a favourite superhero, or cartoon for that matter.

No idea what you're trying to say there.

To be against the idea of speed ramps is bordering on lunacy. Granted there are many examples of ridiculous ramps which can be bad for a motor but no matter what the Ramp:Car damage is, it will never hold a candle to Human:Car damage.

towel401 · 02-01-2009 10:08am

bravestarr082 wrote: »

No idea what you're trying to say there.

To be against the idea of speed ramps is bordering on lunacy. Granted there are many examples of ridiculous ramps which can be bad for a motor but no matter what the Ramp:Car damage is, it will never hold a candle to Human:Car damage.

Speed ramps are stupid yokes because you are preemptively being punished for someone elses crime. why should someone who doesn't drive too fast have be affected by these?

safety culture can be used to justify almost any new anti-car regulation but really most speed bumps are put up so some biddy living in an estate doesn't have to listen to the cars drive past

SoupyNorman · 02-01-2009 10:21am

towel401 wrote: »

Speed ramps are stupid yokes because you are preemptively being punished for someone elses crime. why should someone who doesn't drive too fast have be affected by these?

safety culture can be used to justify almost any new anti-car regulation but really most speed bumps are put up so some biddy living in an estate doesn't have to listen to the cars drive past

Oh good Jesus.

Someone elses crime, speed ramps are not Stupid yokes ,they prevent people being maimed and killed.How could you be so ignorant to say that you are Peter Perfect the Perfect Driver and we can all take your word that you will never ever break any posted speed limit in any town or area ever. Even if you did and you hit a child at 50kph and killed or brain damaged that child but with a speed ramp you'd of been doing 30kph or less. It's all a for instance until through no fault of your own an old lady or wide eyed child(just helping set the scene) goes under your car, no matter whos to blame its real and its permanent, Speed ramps are in place to protect.

Del2005 · 02-01-2009 10:24am

towel401 wrote: »

Speed ramps are stupid yokes because you are preemptively being punished for someone elses crime. why should someone who doesn't drive too fast have be affected by these?

The problem with speed ramps is they only slow down people who drive safely anyway. The people who drive like lunatics fly over them or else slam on the breaks at the last second and then speed off again.

Then there are the car thieves who seem to think they are for getting as much air as possible.

safety culture can be used to justify almost any new anti-car regulation but really most speed bumps are put up so some biddy living in an estate doesn't have to listen to the cars drive past

And all the extra noise of cars hitting the ramp and accelerating away is quieter? Or the buses and trucks bouncing over?

Has anyone ever calculated the extra fuel used by road users due to unnecessary braking and acceleration? Or how many people haven't made it to hospital on time as the ambulance had to drive slowly over these?

m5ex9oqjawdg2i · 02-01-2009 10:28am

FloorBoard wrote: »

Some chance. I don't do new Ireland "tatter talk". I don't have a favourite superhero, or cartoon for that matter.

You are very very odd, even for a boards.ie poster.

Hagar, if signs worked, then there would be no need for the speed bumps at all. FAct of the matter is, signs don't work, speed bumps do. If you have a speedbump that you can tackle when you are doing 50 kmph then chances are you can take it at 60 or 70. So take the bump and make it so difficult that you cannot take it at them speeds. Problem solved. There are some bumps that will get the underside of your car, other bumps you can just zip right over them like they are nothing.

thebman · 02-01-2009 10:31am

The only ones I've seen are mostly in housing estates and near schools which is fair enough IMO.

Straffan is a bloody joke, the whole town is a series of speed ramps for no reason I can see.

Del2005 · 02-01-2009 11:07am

Maeve Hollow Streptococcus wrote: »

You are very very odd, even for a boards.ie poster.

Hagar, if signs worked, then there would be no need for the speed bumps at all. FAct of the matter is, signs don't work, speed bumps do. If you have a speedbump that you can tackle when you are doing 50 kmph then chances are you can take it at 60 or 70. So take the bump and make it so difficult that you cannot take it at them speeds. Problem solved. There are some bumps that will get the underside of your car, other bumps you can just zip right over them like they are nothing.

But then whats the point in having a 50km/h road, why not mark it down to 20km/h. All bad speed bumps do is encourage people to speed up (and possible exceed the limit) to the limit between them, where as if they could drive at 50km/h they could be paying attention to the roads and not their gear box.

Also if a speed bump damages your car on a 50km/h road, I'm sure you could sue the council for the damages.

If they want speed bumps to only slow down the people who exceed the speed limit why don't they install automatic bumps? It takes your speed, if less then the limit then nothing happens. If your exceeding the limit the bump pops up and slows the speeder.

Ferris · 02-01-2009 11:13am

What needs to happen is that they should standardise speed bumps into two or three types and then introduce regulations on spacing, placement etc.

If this was done then you might be able to tell the severity of the 'bump' before you hit it and match your seed accordingy.

IMO the moniker of 'sleeping policemen' suits speed bumps best. They are a lazy and unimaginative method of traffic control. I think they distract drivers, damage vehicles and impeed traffic flow and their use should be restricted to areas where they are actually required (schools etc).

That said if we have to have them at least make them all the same shape!

ergonomics · 02-01-2009 11:17am

My gripe with speed bumps is pedestrians thinking that they are all pedestrian crossings. I know some pedestrian crossings are raised like a speed bump but that doesn't automatically mean all are so don't throw me dirty looks or shout at me when I don't stop for you. If I don't see anything that indicates a pedestrian crossing then it's just a normal speed bump and I am not going to stop for you.

Berty · 02-01-2009 11:22am

ergonomics wrote: »

My gripe with speed bumps is pedestrians thinking that they are all pedestrian crossings. I know some pedestrian crossings are raised like a speed bump but that doesn't automatically mean all are so don't throw me dirty looks or shout at me when I don't stop for you. If I don't see anything that indicates a pedestrian crossing then it's just a normal speed bump and I am not going to stop for you.

You should have seen Limerick at Christmas so. You would have cried. It was a free for all at the main junction of William Street and O'Connell St at Keanes Jewellers and all the way up William Street.

No speed ramps, no zebara, pelican or any other animal to help you cross the road other than the pedestrian lights at the intersection which are meaningless because everybody ignores them.

Oh, I didnt ignore my green light or their red(pedestrian) light. It was a case of move or die because I 'aint making allowances for you!

PixelTrawler · 02-01-2009 12:13pm

We had a guy working with us from portugal last year.

He said in portugal speed bumps were banned on the advice of their surgeon general as it leads to spinal compression (makes sense when you think about it, its not just the car suspension going up and down) as you go over them every day...

Don't have any links to back this up, just what this guy said...

Max_Damage · 02-01-2009 12:16pm

It wouldn't surprise me if they put speed ramps on the M50 next... :rolleyes:

cyclopath2001 · 02-01-2009 1:14pm

ergonomics wrote: »

My gripe with speed bumps is pedestrians thinking that they are all If I don't see anything that indicates a pedestrian crossing then it's just a normal speed bump and I am not going to stop for you.

Why not? It's a legal obligation to give way to pedestrians once they have started to cross.

It'd also be a considerate thing to do.

SoupyNorman · 02-01-2009 1:43pm

cyclopath2001 wrote: »

It's a legal obligation to give way to pedestrians once they have started to cross.

Since when?

Hagar · 02-01-2009 1:44pm

cyclopath2001 wrote: »

Why not? It's a legal obligation to give way to pedestrians once they have started to cross.

It'd also be a considerate thing to do.

Really? A pedestrian can just walk out anywhere and motorists then have a legal, forget moral, obligation to give way? Link?

SoupyNorman · 02-01-2009 1:58pm

cyclopath2001 wrote: »

Why not? It's a legal obligation to give way to pedestrians once they have started to cross.

It'd also be a considerate thing to do.

The word Spurious springs to mind.

ergonomics · 02-01-2009 4:03pm

cyclopath2001 wrote: »

Why not? It's a legal obligation to give way to pedestrians once they have started to cross.

It'd also be a considerate thing to do.

Obviously if they're on the road I'm not just going to barrel past them but if they're standing at the side of the road expecting me to stop it ain't gonna happen cause it's not a pedestrian crossing. It's not my fault they're too stupid to tell the difference.

hallstatt · 02-01-2009 4:16pm

I think it proper order to have them around schools ect. but jesus its absolutely got out of hand.There shaggin everwhere!!.Im sick to death of them,especially around my neck of the woods its absolutely gone crazy.And some of them are actually dangerous! I was in greystones recently at night and there was one road with ramps which had no lighting and impossible to see to the naked eye untill I smashed over one, smacking the underside of the car and nearly throwing myself thru the window.

parsi · 02-01-2009 4:28pm

Berty wrote: »

You should have seen Limerick at Christmas so. You would have cried. It was a free for all at the main junction of William Street and O'Connell St at Keanes Jewellers and all the way up William Street.

and along O'Connell St in front of Todds (as was)...

Del2005 · 02-01-2009 4:49pm

cyclopath2001 wrote: »

Why not? It's a legal obligation to give way to pedestrians once they have started to cross.

That's only at a junction where they have taken control of it by stepping onto the road before a car enters the junction. When they step onto the speedbump thinking it's a crossing point they're just stupid and the car already has control of the road, so they have to wait for the car to release control to them to cross.

It'd also be a considerate thing to do.

It's also considerate not too stand in front of large moving objects.

cyclopath2001 · 02-01-2009 5:43pm

Del2005 wrote: »

the car already has control of the road.....so they have to wait for the car to release control to them to cross.

Where exactly does the law say that?

AugustusMaximus · 02-01-2009 5:46pm

MYOB wrote: »

Kildare County Council are fans of ones which need to be crossed at about 20km/h - which they seem to place exclusively in 50km/h zones. In fact, I've never seen a 30km/h zone in the entire county.

There is a 30kph zone in Ballinacollig out by the Catholic Church. This is the ONLY 30kph I know off.

Funnilly enough there are no speed bumps on this section of road if memory serves.

L1011 · 02-01-2009 5:59pm

AugustusMaximus wrote: »

There is a 30kph zone in Ballinacollig out by the Catholic Church. This is the ONLY 30kph I know off.

Funnilly enough there are no speed bumps on this section of road if memory serves.

Theres many part-time one which use illuminated signage to 'come in to force' so to speak around schools up this end of the country; and theres a few permanently signed ones in Dublin city centre.

Not one in the speedbump riddled hellholes of Straffan, edges of Maynooth, etc. Weird that...

Rovi · 02-01-2009 6:04pm

While driving an off-road competition vehicle, they're barely noticeable, and are also great for getting rid of tailgaters.

Allegedly...

Del2005 · 02-01-2009 6:36pm

cyclopath2001 wrote: »

Where exactly does the law say that?

Hagar · 02-01-2009 6:42pm

There's a few multi-syllable words in that, have you nothing simpler? He's a cyclist remember.

cyclopath2001 · 02-01-2009 7:56pm

Del2005 wrote: »

So, all you could find is a childrens's poster? That's not what I asked for.

The reason we have speed-bumps is because so many drivers don't know the law.

L-M · 02-01-2009 8:29pm

This just reminds me of a funny story. Was in the car with the mother, she was driving along at 60-70kmph and went over a bad speed bump. Car got an awful thump and i looked at her as she just kept driving, didn't even notice. There are two bumps within the space for 500 yards, so i thought she would have learned her lesson for the second one, but no, over again at the same speed.

I looked at her "Do you not slow down for them!?"

To which she replied "Slow down for what?"

:rolleyes:

Speed bumps in general don't slow me down much. There are three types of these bumps.

Speed humps
These are the one's that go up, across for 2 -3 feet and down again. The easier of the three. These are completely pointless as there is no need to slow down.

Small metal bumps
These are the worse of the three. Small little metal lumps in the middle of the road that will eventually damage you, or your car at some point. These have to be taken slow.

Normal bumps
These are in the middle, no too fast, not too slow. Somewhat effective.

I don't care about speed bumps, i don't take much notice of them. I'm sure they slow people down alright, only for them to have to accelarate back up to the speed they were previously at. I'm sure all the braking, gear changing, accelorating and general wear on tear on the car is worth the slowing down for two hundred yards..

L1011 · 02-01-2009 8:38pm

Type 1 there are designed like that to let ambulances take them at full speed. However, even a fecking Fiat Panda is wide enough to ride them at full speed and not feel a thing... they appear to be designed to slow down Nissan Micras - like they're not driven slow enough already!

eringobragh · 02-01-2009 8:40pm

Limerick-man wrote: »

This just reminds me of a funny story. Was in the car with the mother, she was driving along at 60-70kmph and went over a bad speed bump. Car got an awful thump and i looked at her as she just kept driving, didn't even notice. There are two bumps within the space for 500 yards, so i thought she would have learned her lesson for the second one, but no, over again at the same speed.

I looked at her "Do you not slow down for them!?"

To which she replied "Slow down for what?"

:rolleyes:

Speed bumps in general don't slow me down much. There are three types of these bumps.

Speed humps
These are the one's that go up, across for 2 -3 feet and down again. The easier of the three. These are completely pointless as there is no need to slow down.

Small metal bumps
These are the worse of the three. Small little metal lumps in the middle of the road that will eventually damage you, or your car at some point. These have to be taken slow.

Normal bumps
These are in the middle, no too fast, not too slow. Somewhat effective.

I don't care about speed bumps, i don't take much notice of them. I'm sure they slow people down alright, only for them to have to accelarate back up to the speed they were previously at. I'm sure all the braking, gear changing, accelorating and general wear on tear on the car is worth the slowing down for two hundred yards..

Not to forget the ones that are made for paving bricks, hit them over 20k and your minus a tyre/alloy or a big dent of as metal wheel

They used to have thoswe in Drumcondra

cyclopath2001 · 02-01-2009 8:59pm

Limerick-man wrote: »

I don't care about speed bumps, i don't take much notice of them. I'm sure they slow people down alright, only for them to have to accelarate back up to the speed they were previously at. I'm sure all the braking, gear changing, accelorating and general wear on tear on the car is worth the slowing down for two hundred yards..

In my neighbourhood, we've lots of them, I just drive at about 35kph (limit's 40) & keep it steady. Ease off the gas a little on each ramp and ease it back on again afterwards. No need for dramatic braking, acceleration, gear changing & hissy sound effects.

It's just a matter of maintaining a calm, well-considered average. They're not a challenge, we wouldn't need them at all if everyone would just go easy on the gas.

Abraham · 02-01-2009 9:02pm

The most effective speed bump I know of is the single bump on Tesco's drive-in road at their Clearwater facility just off the Finglas Dual Carriageway, D9. It's an absolute humdinger and defies all known logic for it's existence.

It resembles either a laid flat telephone pole or smallish tree, It's bang on a 90degree corner.........it's beside a flat pancake roundabout..........it's right beside a pedestrian crossing point.....it only goes halfway across the road ( driver shall not kill going in but coming out laden with Tesco goodies is a different matter) and it's positioned so that those drivers going into the petrol pumps don't have to drive over it but all those going into every other business in Clearwater have no option whatsoever but to thump over it.
So as well as the cheapest fuel in the land, garage callers get a dispensation from speed bump travel but no brownie points for ordinary retail shoppers.

Am I right or what ?

L1011 · 02-01-2009 9:02pm

cyclopath2001 wrote: »

In my neighbourhood, we've lots of them, I just drive at about 35kph (limit's 40) & keep it steady. Ease off the gas a little on each ramp and ease it back on again afterwards. No need for dramatic braking, acceleration, gear changing & hissy sound effects.

It's just a matter of maintaining a calm, well-considered average. They're not a challenge, we wouldn't need them at all if everyone would just go easy on the gas.

Where is this legal impossibility of a place you live in?

40km/h is not a valid speed limit in Ireland.

ttm · 02-01-2009 9:29pm

MYOB wrote: »

Where is this legal impossibility of a place you live in?

40km/h is not a valid speed limit in Ireland.

The "Rules of the road" are on the web...

http://www.rulesoftheroad.ie

And on the speed limit pages http://www.rulesoftheroad.ie/rules-for-driving/speed-limits/speed-limits_on-roads.html you'll find that local authorities can apply any speed limit they like.

Also regarding pedestrians crossing the road as mention earlier in this tread http://www.rulesoftheroad.ie/rules-for-driving/speed-limits/speed-limits_on-roads.html has the info.

L1011 · 02-01-2009 10:05pm

ttm wrote: »

The "Rules of the road" are on the web...

http://www.rulesoftheroad.ie

And on the speed limit pages http://www.rulesoftheroad.ie/rules-for-driving/speed-limits/speed-limits_on-roads.html you'll find that local authorities can apply any speed limit they like.

Also regarding pedestrians crossing the road as mention earlier in this tread http://www.rulesoftheroad.ie/rules-for-driving/speed-limits/speed-limits_on-roads.html has the info.

The ROTR is not the law. It is an interpretation of; and in this case is wrong.

As per the Road Traffic Act 2004 (http://www.oireachtas.ie/documents/bills28/acts/2004/a4404.pdf), the only valid speed limits in Ireland are 30km/h, 50km/h, 60km/h, 80km/h, 100km/h and 120km/h.

Please don't preach without making sure you're correct first.

edit: The ROTR says no such thing as to what you claim it says about speed limits. It specifically shows ALL the valid speed limit signs, which correlate to all the valid limits.

Bobo78 · 02-01-2009 10:41pm

Did anyone of ye ever noticed few of the speed bumps in Limerick in Crescent Shopping Centre just where the cinema is? They are quite thick and long, about two years ago when I drove over them at around 40 kilometres I knocked the back box of my car I noticed it straight away becouse my car sounded like Glanza:o:(

Speed Ramps

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