Anything but calm after speed bumps (From Warrington Guardian)

Anything but calm after speed bumps

ONE of the most misleading phrases in the English language must surely be 'traffic calming measures'.

It seems that these days you can't go anywhere without running into a section of road sporting an assortment of humps and bumps every few yards.

I am normally a very patient and well-mannered driver, but after travelling along one of these roads, the last thing I would describe myself as is 'calm'.

Quite the opposite, in fact, as I end up feeling unusually irritable and aggressive after being subjected to several minutes of slow, stop-start progress and worrying about the pounding which my car's suspension is taking.

I travel from out of town to work in Winsford and my route involves driving down Delamere Street. This was always a tricky road, with parked cars creating hazards along the way, but since the introduction of these 'traffic calming measures' the situation has become a nightmare.

The idea, of course, is that motorists such as myself should find an alternative route. But why should we waste our time and petrol going the long way round just so that some narrow-minded residents can have a quieter road outside their houses?

These residents don't seem to care a jot about the people who live on alternative routes into Winsford - and who may be taking the brunt of any diverted traffic - so why should anyone be bothered about them?

It makes me furious to think of the money I have had to cough up for road tax over the years, just so that councils can make a pig's ear of things by introducing speed bumps at every corner.

I'm not sure if anyone has ever taken legal action against a council after having their car ruined by 'traffic calming measures', but it would certainly make for an interesting case.

Driving can be stressful enough without the added nuisance of speed bumps, so let's keep the roads flat and help to keep road rage at bay.

Outsider,

Name and address supplied.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.