To want speed bumps or a speed camera

[HexBramble]

I live on a cul de sac just off a main road. It's not hugely busy but gets a steady stream of traffic. The whole village is on a hill and leading into a country road which takes you to the next village.

Too many cars use this stretch as almost a take off strip to really tear into the country road. It's long and straight so some dickheads drivers really floor it, from both directions.

AIBU to want a bit of safety around here? My DD's are going to want to start strolling down to the village shop soon and I fear for their safety.

AIBU to want to request our local council to consider cameras or bumps?

And, does anyone have any idea how I ask them?

You can try asking the council but are you sure you're not being a bit paranoid about it? Everyone gets in a tizz about drivers they think are speeding when actually they're driving at the posted limit.

In all honesty, it's pretty tedious to see people constantly demanding lower speed limits and/or more rigorous enforcement 'because of the children'.

I grew up living on a main road and we were taught from an early age how to cross it.

I agree Holly - road safety is paramount. I s'pose I am a little paranoid - borne from seeing an Audi career into the hedge after a speed wobble last year. Standard speed limits are fine but it's those that try and ton it up and down. Because it's such an open village, you can hear these cars increasing in speed from about half a mile away.

Approach your Parish Council; there should be a Notice Board in the Village, or details in the Parish magazine, or search for a website. Contact a local councillor and put your complaint, suggestions in writing, and/or attend the next Parish Council meeting. The trouble with speeding on village roads is that is intermittent, and more difficult to teach children to deal with than a regular flow of heavy traffic.

You can also contact your local Councillor who should help.

OP, I re-read what I typed and it comes across a bit snippy - apologies as that wasn't what I intended!

I've been onto the parish, district and county council about our road for similar reasons. It's a rat run and the way people drive down it is shocking. Apparently, they are considering ways to solve it but I haven't heard anything more. Personally, I'm not a fan of speed bumps or cameras and I'm also not convinced knee-jerk lowering of limits works but I do appreciate how frustrating it is to see some of the idiocy on the roads.

the limit is just that, not a target. Every idiot in a hedge is one less on the road; but the trouble is that they can take others with them.

don't ask for bumps - wreck cars
don't ask for cameras - useless.

ask for a chicane to be installed.

do speed bumps wreck cars that aren't going too fast?

We live on a residential street where the parrallel streets have speed bumps, so all the idiots literally shoot down our street. It's narrow but straight, so they seem to think that they can pick up speed if they can't see someone coming the other way. I wouldn't go fast because it's dangerous and anti-social, but it seems I'm in the minority.

holly no problem. I didn't see your post as snippy - it was part of a balanced discussion

specialsubject I haden't thought of a chicane - yes, bloody good idea. Even better. Thank you.

specialsubject A chicane is a great idea. We have them in the town next to our village and the difference they make is enormous.

YANBU, I wish the council would do something about our street. It is a sweeping crescent shape, very broad, and people use it as a rat run to dodge a set of traffic lights. It's always the same cars too, and the speeds some of the go at have to be seen to be believed.

I don't think bumps would work though, what we need is random speed gunning so that the offenders can be fined and given points. They do it on a country lane out of the town where hardly anyone ever speeds because of the potholes, so why not on our street?

YANBU
our village is on a sort of curve on a long stretch of road and people don't slow down to 30.
I do say think of the children in thus case, but also, just pulling out from my house I've neatly had people crashing me to me because I couldn't see them when I checked.
I don't care if bumps ruin cars- isn't that the point? That the only way people will slow down is if there will be a financial cost to themselves?

I would approach your parish council.

Our District (or maybe County) council Highways department invite bids from parish councils annually, for small highways improvements. The parish council presents the problem (and a suggested solution) to the highways department, and some of the schemes are selected each year. I think the Highways contribution to the approved schemes is capped at £10k, so the parish council (or another funding source) may have to top up the money to achieve a sensible solution.

Examples of local schemes done this way include chicanes, mini roundabouts, reclassifying the speed limit (inc new signs, advertising boards etc), a new section of footpath.

If the parish council is lukewarm to the suggestion, offer to take on the admin work yourself, reporting back to them. Highways should have all the info, and then you put together a presentation which you send in or deliver to a panel of councillors (district or county, I can't remember). Your parish council chairman or clerk will almost certainly back the bid/help deliver the presentation/attend the presentation with you, but they may feel that the parish council don't have the time to prioritise and take on the admin themselves.

You'll find details of your parish council meeting times on a local noticeboard along with contact details for the chairman and clerk. I would suggest speaking to the chairman or clerk in advance of a meeting, but you could just go along and raise it in the public participation bit of the meeting :)

You don't need to be driving too fast over a speed bump for it to ruin your car. Chicanes are a better option.

Definately not speed bumps. Everyone who has a bad back or is in pain generally will suffer. Sometimes quite badly

We've campaigned for similar on our road and let me tell you it's not easy! They will not spend the money unless there are accidents there, speeding does not cut the mustard unfortunately.

I wrote to our local councillor who had wires put in the road, it's the police who decide whether or not it's dangerous then instruct the council on whether or not to add traffic calming measures.

We have people speeding along our road which has a park and a school, they have (after 4 years of residents campaigning) done nothing! It's a matter of time before a child is hit, sadly then, that is when they will act.

Good luck with whatever you do and if you pick up and good tips, please let me know.

Oh yes, I'm not proclaiming to be a traffic calming expert and I have no doubt a chicane is a more effective method than speed bumps.
But when the other choice is a horrendous accident, I'd take a little discomfort or damage to a vehicle.

yes, speed bumps do damage cars even if taken dead slow, I mean at an absolute crawl which is how I always go over them. Coil springs are particularly vulnerable. £100 a go plus fitting.

4WDs won't be affected so people in those will still speed.

I live on a road that is very long and straight perfect for speeding . It residential so 30mph but we regularly get cars going faster. In fact I always stick to 30 and the queue that can build up behind me is incredible. I regularly get peepped or overtaken by twats.

I contacted the police. They came out with guns and agreed the speed was excessive but that was 12 months ago - and no further forward. Because the road is long and straight its unlikely accidents are likely to happen and there has only been 1 incident in 10 years.

I am just in the process of writing to all residents on the road as hopefully together we might make some progress. Reading some of these comments has made me realise what a struggle we will probably have.

I live on a straight A road. Absolutely perfect dragracing conditions. Except for the cars parked both sides and the almost imperceptible bend in the road. Where I live. Cars set off from the lights and can get up to about 50mph (it's a 30 road) before they hit our garden wall or whichever poor sod has parked there. I've dragged more than my fair share of people from cars on this road and they still won't put a speed camera up. Will watch this thread with interest.