Dropped Kerbs

teddysmum

50Twuncle wrote: »

Around my area speed humps are vicious !!
They have steep edges and are high.
I have​ complained but the council don't want to know !!

Exactly the case.


There is actually recommendation as to height and width of humps, but LAs contract the work out to companies that doesn't care.


Some were built near us and every time my car went over them, there was a loud grinding of metal (Lots of gouges on the humps from other cars). This is at crawling speed, not over 20mph.


My husband measured them and found them well outside the suggested limits, so complained to the council,but the man put on the case, suddenly was unavailable, in a meeting or on holiday, so we gave up.


However, a couple of weeks later, a councillor friend of my mother-on-law, rang my husband and asked him about the measurements.....because the humps had damaged her car.


Within a week, a company was brought in and they smoothed the humps by adding infills between, behind and infront of them, making the slope gentler.


Unfortunately the lady died, so could not intervene again, when road works meant that one set of humps were rebuilt...and they are worse than the original ones.


The humps are meant to be able to be straddled by such vehicles as ambulances, but a paramedic I now, told me that ambulances are frequently unable to do so because of poor sizing or cars parked as I have mentioned.


Ambulances aren't the most comfortable vehicles anyone, but you have to pity anyone being transported over humps in one , as I find them painful, even in a comfortable car.

teddysmum

rockingbilly wrote: »

They are made to give an incline of between 35 and 45 degrees. Anything below 35 degrees is a slight incline and can be taken at 30mph. Anything over 45 degrees could damage the wheels/suspension and cause the car to ground at the front at anything over 10 mph.
It does not matter how high they are it's the incline on both sides that will cause the damage if taken too fast.

If yours are that vicious try driving over them at between 5 and 10mph. That way you won't feel anything and have a smooth journey.

You are quoting the ideal, but subcontractors, as I have mentioned, do not stick to the rules and councils don't bother checking. The humps I mention are high and have an angle of about 60 degrees. Also the inclines on the far side are steeper, so you hit those if forced to drive on the wrong side of the road because of parked cars.


I guarantee that you will feel our humps even if you travel at less than 5mph and especially if you have spine problems as I have.

teddysmum

This has reminded me of a case of red face for the council, as the approach road to one of our cemeteries has speed humps (bad like those near us).


One day ,the underside of a hearse was damaged (now how many of those speed at funerals?) meaning that the cortege had to stop and wait for a replacement hearse.


This was reported in the local paper and the humps were soon rectified, as the undertaker was a prominent councillor, though of the opposition party.

50Twuncle

elsien wrote: »

You might want to try quoting an act tthat is still in force, given that the DDA has since been superceded by the Equality Act.

I got our local council to put dropped kerbs in for wheelchair access without any issues, but there were no complicating traffic factors.

They have refused - citing financial reasons !!

IAmWales

50Twuncle wrote: »

They have refused - citing financial reasons !!

You are aware that councils have had massive funding cuts? I expect they have far higher priorities than your proposal that would have very limited benefit.

(Financial considerations are a valid justification for denying an adjustment.)

rockingbilly

teddysmum wrote: »

This has reminded me of a case of red face for the council, as the approach road to one of our cemeteries has speed humps (bad like those near us).


One day ,the underside of a hearse was damaged (now how many of those speed at funerals?) meaning that the cortege had to stop and wait for a replacement hearse.


This was reported in the local paper and the humps were soon rectified, as the undertaker was a prominent councillor, though of the opposition party.

That would only happen with very low built cars namely Ferarri etc with a ground clearance of just an inch or two OR with a LWB vehicle such as a limo or hearse. What happens is that the front wheel clear the hump leaving the centre of the vehicle sitting on the hump with all four wheels swinging in the air.

rockingbilly

IAmWales wrote: »

You are aware that councils have had massive funding cuts? I expect they have far higher priorities than your proposal that would have very limited benefit.

(Financial considerations are a valid justification for denying an adjustment.)

Care homes for the elderly???

50Twuncle

IAmWales wrote: »

You are aware that councils have had massive funding cuts? I expect they have far higher priorities than your proposal that would have very limited benefit.

(Financial considerations are a valid justification for denying an adjustment.)

Can't the council get European funding for equal opps things ?

LABMAN

50Twuncle wrote: »

Can't the council get European funding for equal opps things ?

...or you can offer to pay for it to be done perhaps?

rockingbilly

50Twuncle wrote: »

Can't the council get European funding for equal opps things ?

The sooner we are out of that club the better and pay for what we need out of our own pocket.