Global News: Speed Humps Faces the Axe in UK

The UK Government proposals that could spell the end of speed humps in 20mph zones has been welcomed by Warranty Direct, which says it could help UK motorists save some of the £1 million a day they spend out in repairs to suspension and axle damage.

Warranty Direct runs motoring campaign website, Potholes.co.uk, set up in 2007 as a sounding board and advice centre for motorists who damage their cars on poorly-maintained roads.

With six percent of suspension damage traceable back to the effect of traffic calming measures like ‘sleeping policemen’ as well as bad road surfaces and potholes, the automotive warranty specialist calculated that the average repair bill is £240. That equates to a potential £413m (S$943m) a year, or £1.1m (S$2.5m) a day across Britain’s 28.2 million cars.

In plans unveiled this week, the Government called for more 20mph (32 kmh) zones, after research showed they reduced road casualties by more than 40 percent.

To aid the creation of more ‘go-slow’ zones, councils will now be allowed to implement them without also having to back them up with traffic calming measures.

Warranty Direct’s Duncan McClure Fisher said: “Speed humps are as much of a menace as potholes, and do much the same damage. As motorists, I think we’d all be glad to see the back of them. It’s time for the Government to rely on the common sense and good driving manners of the majority of drivers, rather than punish everyone with big repair bills.”

Credits: wilswong