COUNCILLOR Richard Grant is misguided in his support for the euphemistically named 'speed cushions' in Witherley Road, Atherstone (in Herald letters, May 28).
He confuses travelling speed with impact speed.
The two are rarely equivalent, and then only when a driver fails or doesn't have time to brake or take avoiding action.
Around 10,000 children are involved in collisions with vehicles in the UK each year.
Research suggests that an average impact speed of 20mph would result in up to 500 deaths.
The actual number of deaths is around 50, which suggests that average impact speeds are well below 20mph.
Furthermore, accident statistics tell us that children are rarely killed in the vicinity of schools.
This is no doubt due at least in part to congestion caused by the dreaded school run, which results in vehicle speeds below 20mph, and driver awareness of children travelling to or from school.
Thus speed humps are a 24/7 solution to a perceived temporary problem at school arrival and departure times.
As an alternative, the likes of Suffolk and West Sussex County Councils have implemented school safety zones (SSZs). This involves the use of road markings and advisory 20mph limits around schools.
Advisory flashing lights warn people using the road at school pick-up and drop-off times of the 20mph limit.
SSZs eliminate the well-known disadvantages of speed humps, which include increased vehicle emissions and fuel consumption, damage to vehicles even at low speeds, increased noise and vibration, traffic displacement on to non-humped roads, plus the potentially deadly effect on ambulance response times and patient comfort.
What a pity that Warwickshire County Council still lives in the dark ages of road safety solutions.
Paul Biggs, Director, Association of British Drivers.
Monday, June 08, 2009, 09:39
Tamworth Herald letters: Bumpy ride for councillor 'speed cushion' defence
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