Speed ramps: What's the point?

Gerrup Outta Dat!

When I was driving towards Beaumont Hospital the other day, I noted that there's lots of speed bumps there (obviously among other parts of Ireland too). There are a few fierce ones in my town that you'd wreck your car unless you crawled over in 1st gear.

Then there are other ones where they "surprise" you and they are more severe than they look, if that makes sense.

I don't see the point in them or the logic. If the speed limit is 50 km/h, then you should be able to use the ramp at that speed with no discomfort to you or the car. If the authorities want you to drive slower, then lower the speed limit .. simple!
Why can't they just have a fixed speed camera in place instead of poxy ramps.

These must be a pain the hole for ambulance drivers, paramedics, first responders, firemen, Gardaí in pursuit, etc. For these people seconds matter and they have to slow down for poxy cement on the road.

If the ramps are designed to be uncomfortable at more than 30 km/h, then why not set the speed limit to 30 km/h in these areas and enforce it with fixed cameras. If the speeding is such the endemic that they make it out to be, then surely the resultant FCPNs will pay for the cameras.

amcalester

Yeah, because people obey speed limits.

_Brian

You can set the speed limit to whatever you want and a certain % of People breakit and speed.
Speed ramps are different, no matter what you must slow down, even speeders know enough to slow for them. Idiot proof as it were.

Gerrup Outta Dat!

amcalester wrote: »

Yeah, because people obey speed limits.

Gerrup Outta Dat! wrote: »

If the ramps are designed to be uncomfortable at more than 30 km/h, then why not set the speed limit to 30 km/h in these areas and enforce it with fixed cameras. If the speeding is such the endemic that they make it out to be, then surely the resultant FCPNs will pay for the cameras.

Read the thread before posting again.

amcalester

Gerrup Outta Dat! wrote: »

Read the thread before posting again.

Speed bumps are cheaper and more effective than cameras.

Damned if you do and damned if you don't too.

People complain about speed vans being a money making racket (despite it costing more to run that it takes in) and now you're complaining about speed bumps.

Gerrup Outta Dat!

amcalester wrote: »

Speed bumps are cheaper and more effective than cameras.

Damned if you do and damned if you don't too.

People complain about speed vans being a money making racket (despite it costing more to run that it takes in) and now you're complaining about speed bumps.

What about ambulance drivers having to slow down and speed up? Up and down like a whore's knickers.

amcalester

Gerrup Outta Dat! wrote: »

What about ambulance drivers having to slow down and speed up? Up and down like a whore's knickers.

I would have thought whores would just go commando, much more efficient.

They prevent scumbags from joyriding.

Eric Cartman

speed ramps are just a lazy way to deal with traffic enforcement. Id make the whole road width ones illegal if I could, the partial ones are fine as ambulances etc.. have a wide enough track and enough clearence to get over them without impact.

OP, buy a car with air suspension, you can hit a bump designed for 50 at 90 and barely even feel it

beauf

You could have shortened your post to this...

Gerrup Outta Dat! wrote: »

...
Why can't they just have a fixed speed camera in place instead of poxy ramps.... .

.. I assume ramps are cheaper.

Why do we have so few speed cameras in general anyway.

bladespin

Deleted User wrote:

They prevent scumbags from joyriding.

No, they don't.

Gerrup Outta Dat!

beauf wrote: »

You could have shortened your post to this...



.. I assume ramps are cheaper.

Why do we have so few speed cameras in general anyway.

My idea is that if speed cameras were everywhere, then no one would speed and revenue would be lost. The Gardaí give people enough rope etc.

bear1

Gerrup Outta Dat! wrote: »

My idea is that if speed cameras were everywhere, then no one would speed and revenue would be lost. The Gardaí give people enough rope etc.

Can you honestly say that if cameras were placed everywhere that you wouldn't complain that the government is just trying to milk the motorist even more?
The bumps are there for a reason.
Oh and how much would it cost for the cameras to be set up every 100m or so around the country?

Gerrup Outta Dat!

bear1 wrote: »

Can you honestly say that if cameras were placed everywhere that you wouldn't complain that the government is just trying to milk the motorist even more?
The bumps are there for a reason.
Oh and how much would it cost for the cameras to be set up every 100m or so around the country?

They'd pay for themselves initially, but people would stop speeding when they know speed cameras are everywhere, so they'd eventually stop bringing in money.

beauf

If you've ever driven in the UK you'll know what its like with lots of camera. People hard braking all over the place seemingly at random because they know where the cameras are and you don't.

ironclaw

Currently in Canada and speed bumps are not a thing here at all (Ontario). You see the odd one in some estates, generally by request. But I've never seen anyone speeding in residential areas. People stop for stop signs, and cops regularly park up in estates and nail people for it. Conversely, non-car road users don't wander across streets (Jaywalking), pedestrians stick to junctions and cross there, so drivers can actually expect it. Remembering, free right is a thing here, even with a pedestrian crossing so drivers are infinitely more aware of other road users.

In Ireland, at least in conversation with my mechanic, it used to be a case that the passenger side struts and shocks would be replaced quite regularly, but he said that in the past 10 to 15 years he's seen a massive uprise in the driver side. His best guess is potholes generally form on the passenger side of a road, and now as people avoid bumps, the passenger side generally glides over the lesser side of the ramp while the driver side (Which would have more weight from the driver as well) hits the ramp front and centre.

I see the point in residential areas with plenty of vulnerable pedestrians, but I see no point on main or semi-major routes. Someone people don't care for their cars and will hit them at speed regardless.

Del2005

Deleted User wrote: »

They prevent scumbags from joyriding.

The ramp outside my apartment would disagree with this. Since I've been there 2 light poles and a tree have been taken out. Most nights I hear a car going over at very high speed. My parents road doesn't have speed ramps and all the trees and lights are OK and no one travels their road at very high speed, though eejits still break the limit.

beauf wrote: »

If you've ever driven in the UK you'll know what its like with lots of camera. People hard braking all over the place seemingly at random because they know where the cameras are and you don't.

People brake at random for speed ramps also as most of old ones are so deteriorated that they are invisible and the new batch are barely visible because they just black bumps with a tiny bit of white paint, which wears off in days. Why did they stop putting cats eyes on speed ramps?

mikeecho

Gerrup Outta Dat! wrote: »

Read the thread before posting again.

Can everyone welcome our new mod

AndrewJRenko

I think the Councils have generally moved away from speed ramps for traffic calming. They don't put in new ones now afaik. Instead, they use the guidance in the DMURS manual to have roads narrower, more winding, more trees etc to reduce speed.

punisher5112

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

I think the Councils have generally moved away from speed ramps for traffic calming. They don't put in new ones now afaik. Instead, they use the guidance in the DMURS manual to have roads narrower, more winding, more trees etc to reduce speed.

Not in Dublin.... They are narrowing roads alright but still ramp mad.... Let's put in ramps and not one is the same as the next.

Different heights, shapes and all over the place.

AndrewJRenko

punisher5112 wrote: »

Not in Dublin.... They are narrowing roads alright but still ramp mad.... Let's put in ramps and not one is the same as the next.

Different heights, shapes and all over the place.

Where are you seeing new ramps going in?

Dravokivich

amcalester wrote: »

Yeah, because people obey speed limits.

Yeah, but the issue OP references is that the actual speed traffic needs to flow at to take the ramps gently, is much more reduced than the limit posted on the road. For example, coming from the N4 into Chapelizod, the limit is 50, but you'd not get over 30 between those ramps, unless you really force the throttle down than stomp on your brakes.

amcalester

Dravokivich wrote: »

Yeah, but the issue OP references is that the actual speed traffic needs to flow at to take the ramps gently, is much more reduced than the limit posted on the road. For example, coming from the N4 into Chapelizod, the limit is 50, but you'd not get over 30 between those ramps, unless you really force the throttle down than stomp on your brakes.

Thats probably the whole point, reduce average speed without having to reduce the limit which would most likely be ignored by the majority anyway.

People weren't happy when the limit was reduced to 30kmh but you don't get the same anger when speed bumps are installed.

cfuserkildare

How does an Ambulance with a Spinal Injury in the back handle Speed Bumps?
Are there more long term disability issues due to Speed Bumps?

Dravokivich

amcalester wrote: »

Thats probably the whole point, reduce average speed without having to reduce the limit which would most likely be ignored by the majority anyway.

People weren't happy when the limit was reduced to 30kmh but you don't get the same anger when speed bumps are installed.

If you don't reduce the limit, people are going to aim for it, resulting in rushing up and stomping on breaks. if you want to slow traffic down significantly, lower the limit along with it.

The speed limit is to determine what traffic should be able to effectively drive at, once conditions allow. It shouldn't be unobtainable, due to infastructure.

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

After looking at the OP's videos in the dash cam thread, emergency services are not a primary concern

I guess ramps are in place to reduce speed instead of having limits changing every 10 meters or so.

josip

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

Where are you seeing new ramps going in?

Killiney Road had them put in this year.
Just up the road from a well known local political family.
Who've been unable to get the potholes just down the road fixed for the last 2 years due to a lack of funds in the DLR budget.
Go figure.

Riva10

Gerrup Outta Dat! wrote: »

What about ambulance drivers having to slow down and speed up? Up and down like a whore's knickers.

Do'nt mind the speed ramps. Where and how did you find out about these knickers

Riva10

Deleted User wrote: »

They prevent scumbags from joyriding.

The knickers or the speed ramps. Please be more specific

BillyBobBS

Read a study some years ago about the environmental effect of speed bumps in a city not 100% sure but think the study was done in Birmingham. Cars, trucks, motorbikes, buses etc.. constantly braking and then having to accelerate was contributing to a rise in air pollution figures in all areas. Many residents has partaken in the study and a majority had also complained about noise pollution increasing dramatically. Ironically many of these residents had lobbied the local councils for the speed bumps to be installed in the first place.

I do wonder about the wear and tear on consumables from these hazards also. I know the mechanics must be especially happy when they see those metal speed bumps being put down in their local areas.

dil999

ironclaw wrote: »

Currently in Canada and speed bumps are not a thing here at all (Ontario). You see the odd one in some estates, generally by request. But I've never seen anyone speeding in residential areas. People stop for stop signs, and cops regularly park up in estates and nail people for it. Conversely, non-car road users don't wander across streets (Jaywalking), pedestrians stick to junctions and cross there, so drivers can actually expect it. Remembering, free right is a thing here, even with a pedestrian crossing so drivers are infinitely more aware of other road users.

In Ireland, at least in conversation with my mechanic, it used to be a case that the passenger side struts and shocks would be replaced quite regularly, but he said that in the past 10 to 15 years he's seen a massive uprise in the driver side. His best guess is potholes generally form on the passenger side of a road, and now as people avoid bumps, the passenger side generally glides over the lesser side of the ramp while the driver side (Which would have more weight from the driver as well) hits the ramp front and centre.

I see the point in residential areas with plenty of vulnerable pedestrians, but I see no point on main or semi-major routes. Someone people don't care for their cars and will hit them at speed regardless.

In my one trip to Canada (British Columbia) I got the impression that Canadians are the best and most courteous drivers I have ever encountered.
Can you imagine a 4 way stop sign in Ireland :eek:

cfuserkildare

But people in Canada OBEY the law!!!
Here the laws are seen more as Guidelines!!

I love Sean nos

Gerrup Outta Dat! wrote: »

My idea is that if speed cameras were everywhere, then no one would speed and revenue would be lost. The Gardaí give people enough rope etc.

Conspiracy forum ->

Skatedude

I cannot stand speed ramps and they are not fit for their purpose in Ireland as there is no standardization, Some are fine others huge and some are just ridiculous and often each one on the same road are all different.
I used to own a old 93 bmw 7 series, completely stock suspension, ride height etc and ended up paying thousands replacing the rear silencer a few times, even crawling over some of them and the rear box would drag as it is quite far behind the rear wheels,

Ended up buying a expensive aftermarket exhaust because it was lower profile than the stock one and even fitting new rear shocks to raise the ride height above stock to deal with it.

The other issue is the distraction, people often spend more time focusing on the next speed ramp to see is this one different from the last one etc. and since they are all around schools, that is not a good thing. They need to redesign them properly and make sure they are all the same, that way people wont have think about them and can then pay more attention to their surroundings.

punisher5112

Exactly my issue skatedude.


They are talking now about electric vehicles also polluting more due to extra weight and tyre wear and other parts which are pounded by ramps and such.

josip

dil999 wrote: »

In my one trip to Canada (British Columbia) I got the impression that Canadians are the best and most courteous drivers I have ever encountered.
Can you imagine a 4 way stop sign in Ireland :eek:

No need to imagine.
https://goo.gl/maps/E9SUibGaKDJ2
It's fcuking mayhem.
(From the same people who brought you the 2017 speed bumps)

dil999

josip wrote: »

No need to imagine.
https://goo.gl/maps/E9SUibGaKDJ2
It's fcuking mayhem.
(From the same people who brought you the 2017 speed bumps)

I cant believe someone thought that would work

dil999

cfuserkildare wrote: »

But people in Canada OBEY the law!!!
Here the laws are seen more as Guidelines!!

Reading the motors forum over the last few months, I think people see them more as a challenge

Elmer Blooker

Gerrup Outta Dat! wrote: »

When I was driving towards Beaumont Hospital the other day, I noted that there's lots of speed bumps there (obviously among other parts of Ireland too). There are a few fierce ones in my town that you'd wreck your car unless you crawled over in 1st gear.

Are you serious? I know the area and I could drive over those speed bumps at 50mph if I wanted to! They are not designed to slow down traffic.
For starters the "ramps" are as flat as a pancake and about 5 meters wide which makes the gradient so low they are meaningless, a gimmick courtesy of a "concerned" DCC. I wouldn't worry about them wrecking your car here on de nortside!

Del2005

cfuserkildare wrote: »

But people in Canada OBEY the law!!!
Here the laws are seen more as Guidelines!!

No Police in Canada enforce the laws of the road, so people obey them. I was in Vancouver a few years ago and people were smoking weed in front of the police, weed was still illegal back then but not enforced.

Similarly in the US the police actively patrol and stop people who don't stop at a stop sign and they have speed checks in school zones so they work, yet they have a terrible attitude to DUI as they all practice the sobriety test

The only laws that our enforced in this country are exceeding the speed limit, but only on good quality roads, and DUI. So everyone ignores the rest.

RandomAccess

Speed cameras should be in 30kmh residential zones or similar urban areas.

Since cost is always an issue rotate them with dummy cameras so people don't know which ones are live and they may play roulette at their own risk.

EPAndlee

The only problem I have with speed ramps is the ones that are really sharp

RandomAccess

EPAndlee wrote: »

The only problem I have with speed ramps is the ones that are really sharp

There's about ten or more on Iona road, but only one of them at the pedestrian crossing would send you into Orbit. It doesn't look particularly severe and you don't need to be doing anything resembling speeding.

I love Sean nos

EPAndlee wrote: »

The only problem I have with speed ramps is the ones that are really sharp

There's one in Applewood that I won't drive my car over. Always approach from the other direction.

jimbis

Take a drive down stillorgan park road. the ramps are in there years but whoever put them in made the initial 'impact' of the ramp at an equal angle to the road surface. Which makes the drive over the ramp easy and no stress on your car as long as you stay around the speed limit.
Any faster and your either gonna feel a little uncomfortable or you'll get some air.

My point is, the ramps work in keeping you constantly at the speed limit but do away with the slowing down, speeding up & stresses to your car.

https://www.google.ie/maps/@53.2899171,-6.1855551,353m/data=!3m1!1e3

EPAndlee

RandomAccess wrote: »

There's about ten or more on Iona road, but only one of them at the pedestrian crossing would send you into Orbit. It doesn't look particularly severe and you don't need to be doing anything resembling speeding.

I went over one in a car park at a very handy speed and it felt like my shocks went through the bonnet

josip

Meanwhile in Canada...
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-41726495

For those of you brave enough, click.

DaveyDave

You'd swear Lucan was a race track with the amount of speed bumps around, especially the road straight out of SuperValu. Must be 20-30 meters between some of them on a 50kph road? Absolutely ridiculous, there's even one as soon as you turn onto the road at the lights. Esker Road I think it is? I'll go the long way around the park to avoid it sometimes...

Elmer Blooker

I don't know any ramps ANYWHERE in Dublin that I couldn't drive over well in excess of 30mph.
One thing that has amused me over the years is the way Irish motorists rant and rave about a few bumps that might add a few seconds on to their journey yet are prepared to sit in a car that moves a few hundred meters in a hour and just accept it without complaining.

There's about ten or more on Iona road, but only one of them at the pedestrian crossing would send you into Orbit.

How dare those irritating pedestrians try and cross the road in a 100% residential area! What next?

I went over one in a car park at a very handy speed and it felt like my shocks went through the bonnet

Private property?

RandomAccess

Elmer Blooker wrote: »

I don't know any ramps ANYWHERE in Dublin that I couldn't drive over well in excess of 30mph.
One thing that has amused me over the years is the way Irish motorists rant and rave about a few bumps that might add a few seconds on to their journey yet are prepared to sit in a car that moves a few hundred meters in a hour and just accept it without complaining.


How dare those irritating pedestrians try and cross the road in a 100% residential area! What next?

Private property?

Where exactly did you see me object to pedestrians crossing the road.
Or in fact object to speed bumps at all?


As for your contention that you aren't aware of any speed bumps in Dublin that you couldn't drive over well in excess of 30mph..

You haven't driven very much in that case.

beefburrito

I don't mind speed ramps, when I was a kid back in the 80's there was busy roads where there was a lot of kid's.
I'm sure the speed ramps did the job in which they were intended for.

I'm sure there's been a few accident's which might have been avoided if there was speed ramp's.....

Nothing worse than a driver trying to justify going 50kph over speed ramp's.

Common sense is handy, drive safely OP