Ideas to stop dangerous driving around ED?

[panda boy]

Any ideas how to stop people from driving down the middle of the local ED roads so they can try and straddle the multiple speed cushions that are around? (I'm talking specifically about the local roads with the small square speed cushions, including Underhill, Northcross, Upland etc...)

Roads that used to comfortably accomodate 2 cars travelling in opposite directions now become a game of chicken with drivers pulling out and accelerating to try and get their wheels either side of the bumps.

Its dangerous and bloody annoying.

This is not a rant about speed bumps in the local area. They are here to stay apparently. I'm more concerned with how some people drivers deal with them.

(The only amusing note is that its far better for your suspension to take the bumps head on, (what with it being designed to go up and down,) rather than try and straddle them, which forces the wheels into a position theyre not designed to be in.)

[Earl Aelfheah]

The way to stop it is to remove the speed bumps and *shock* police the roads, targetting bad drivers.

[panda boy]

rahrahrah Wrote:

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> The way to stop it is to remove the speed bumps

> and *shock* police the roads, targetting bad

> drivers.

Great idea, but maybe theres something that can be done while we wait for that ball to start rolling?

I mean the council can't seem to organise (despite promising to do so for what seems like years now) sorting out the ED Grove / Peckham Rye junction traffic light phasing, despite numerous accidents and a death, so unfortunately I have no faith in the system anymore.

[the-e-dealer]

I agree.

[the-e-dealer]

With police numbers being drastically cut i cant imagine them having resources to. Enforce polite sensible driving. Much as i wish they would. I am beginning to think the old fashioned sleeping policemen would be better

[uncleglen]

They could re-open that bit of road next to the Harris school leading on to Forest Hill Road then I wouldn't have to drive down Underhill. And- when they actually catch someone doing something bad they need to prosecute them properly.

[Loz]

panda boy Wrote:

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> rahrahrah Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > The way to stop it is to remove the speed bumps

> > and *shock* police the roads, targetting bad

> > drivers.

>

> Great idea, but maybe theres something that can be

> done while we wait for that ball to start

> rolling?

A large mob, brandishing pitchforks and torches, perhaps?

[Alexthecamel]

Enforce the 20 mile/hr zones. I usually get overtaken along Court Lane. And that's not hyperbole. I drive the length of it most days and more than 50% of the time I get overtaken, which is illegal and dangerous. If there are no penalties for exceeding the limit, it should be scrapped- there's such non compliance.

[Pugwash]

The other day in Barry Road, I was behind a bus that indicated it was pulling out, I waited and waited, the idiot behind me could clearly see the bus indication, and decided that he did not like my caution and over took me and the bus and was 50 yards down the road in seconds.

[Lowlander]

Take out all the speedbumps and put up speed cameras. Everywhere.

And if you're caught, no fine, just 11 penalty points. This will stop people moaning that it's all fund raising for the government,

I'd happily pay ?1 extra on council tax for this.

Edited to add: I drive, so no complaining that it's some sort of crusade against hard done by motorists. I'll believe we're hard done by when people stop leaving their engine running unecessarily. Petrol clearly isn't that expensive.

[the-e-dealer]

uncleglen Wrote:

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> They could re-open that bit of road next to the

> Harris school leading on to Forest Hill Road then

> I wouldn't have to drive down Underhill. And- when

> they actually catch someone doing something bad

> they need to prosecute them properly.

No they couldnt.

[Earl Aelfheah]

@Lowlander - I agree with this to an extent, but actually you could make car manufacturers bare the costs rather than all taxpayers, through the mandated incorporation of relatively simply technology to all new vehicles. It would not be difficult to limit cars so that they were incapable (without alteration) of surpassing the speed limit. Of course no government would pass such legislation because, despite it's inescapbable logic, it would be political suicide.

[panda boy]

rahrahrah, i'm not sure that would be the answer either. I believe fundamentally the driving test needs to be more rigourous, plus re-testing every 5 or so years could help keep the more pertinent elements, along with changes of the highway code in drivers minds.

Then again its a mixture of driving attitude and personality which seems to play a part also.

I mean what goes through peoples minds when they accelerate towards you down the middle of the road? This is the main point of my thread, on specific roads around ED with the square speed cushions in place. The more that appear the more my heart sinks a little as the roads they are on seem to become more dangerous at certain times of day.

[Lowlander]

rahrahrah Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> @Lowlander - I agree with this to an extent, but

> actually you could make car manufacturers bare the

> costs rather than all taxpayers, through the

> mandated incorporation of relatively simply

> technology to all new vehicles. It would not be

> difficult to limit cars so that they were

> incapable (without alteration) of surpassing the

> speed limit. Of course no government would pass

> such legislation because, despite it's

> inescapbable logic, it would be political suicide.

Oh, you could mandate fitting cars with black boxes using GPS to limit the speed in built up areas. They already have them for young drivers, insurance companies give reduced premiums if they don't drive at night...

[Earl Aelfheah]

Like this:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7803997.stm

[Burbage]

panda boy Wrote:

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> I mean what goes through peoples minds when they

> accelerate towards you down the middle of the

> road?

I doubt it's much, though clearly a bit more if they're playing against an SUV, a bit less if it's a kid on a pushbike.

> This is the main point of my thread, on

> specific roads around ED with the square speed

> cushions in place. The more that appear the more

> my heart sinks a little as the roads they are on

> seem to become more dangerous at certain times of

> day.

To be fair, there'd be room for the chickenist hump-straddlers on both sides if it wasn't for on-street parking.

Abolishing on-street parking would save all the time and trouble currently squandered on CPZs. It would also reduce crime, improve sight-lines, save a lot of minor accidents, make enforcement much easier, ease the journeys of emergency vehicles, make road repairs and tree surgery a lot simpler to carry out, smooth traffic flows, increase road capacity, reduce pollution and eliminate chickenism.

There would be a downside, though, and those traders who imagine they rely on the denizens of a legless utopia would no doubt write some very stiff letters indeed. Whether, as a society, we're willing to pay that price in return for the lives of just a very few children is, as ever, moot.

[Twirly]

I was thinking about the speed bumps/cushions as I drove to Balham today. Part of the problem is the positioning. They place three across the road. If you want to go over them evenly, which I have always assumed is safer/better for your car, you have to go in the middle of the road, or risk scraping the car on your left. If two, rather than three, humps could be put in the road, you could stay in your lane quite comfortably - and they'd save money on tarmac too.

[the-e-dealer]

Abolish cars - on side streets. On main roads they are parked for hire by the national car club.

[Loz]

Cars don't straddle speed humps. People do. Ditto, bicycles don't run red lights and ride on pavements, people do.

Get rid of all the people. That's the solution.

[the-e-dealer]

Put the gun down loz

[Kitie76]

Don't drive fast between Grove vale round about to end of dulwich library . It will cause you dangerous problem ..