Safe Speed Forums

Accidents plunge on streets where speed bumps were scrapped
By Ray Massey - Transport Editor

SAFETY experts warned them they were gambling with road users’ lives.
But Tory councillors who ripped out hundreds of speed bumps in their borough have been vindicated.
Accident rates in Barnet, North London. have plummeted, falling by nearly double the rate for the rest of the capital and far exceeding targets set by the Government.
Motoring organisations want other councils to follow the lead of the Barnet Tories and remove the estimated 100,000 humps on UK roads.
They believe too many humps and other ‘anti-car’ measures such as narrow pinch-points, chicanes and islands in the middle of the road, pose a hazard, rather than increase safety by making drivers slow down.
Barnet argued that the speed bumps were hindering motorists and ambulances. Many frustrated drivers were speeding up between each bump, adding to the dangers for other drivers and pedestrians.
Ambulance services said that the bumps were slowing down response times, upsetting and sometimes injuring patients and damaging their vehicles.
Council workers began removing the ‘sleeping policemen’ in 2002. They also widened some streets.
Instead of choking junctions to restrict car access, Barnet improved motorists’ ‘sight-lines’. In addition it ripped out mini-roundabouts which increased congestion.
The aim was improve flow on major routes so drivers would not need to use rat runs, so reducing the accident rate in residential areas.

The decision led to heavy criticism from some road safety experts and from Ken Livingstone. In April 2004, the London Mayor withheld £1.4million from the borough’s traffic management budget.
However, official figures show that casualties in Barnet in the first six months of 2005 fell by 14.9 per cent to 683 compared to the same period in 2004 - nearly double the average London-wide fall of 8.8 per cent.
The figures mean Barnet has exceeded Government targets demanding a 40 per cent accident cut by 2010. Accidents are down 45 per cent four years ahead of deadline.
Out of 33 London boroughs, Barnet now has the seventh best road safety record. Council officials said they were delighted’ by the figures.
Motorcycle accidents in the borough fell by 19.1 per cent in 2005 over 2004 compared to a London average drop of 5.5 per cent.
Car occupant casualties fell 16.6 per cent compared to a London average of 9.6 per cent. Cycle accidents were also down 13.3 per cent compared to a London average of 6.2 per cent.
Matthew Offord, Barnet’s cabinet member for the environment and transport, said: ‘We are very pleased with the figures which vindicate our sensible and managed approach including removing road humps where they are not needed.’

Paul Watters, of the AA Motoring Trust, said: ‘Other councils should follow Barnet and review their humps. Humps can work but you can also have too many which is when people get frustrated and start speeding up in between each one.
Daniel Cukier, of the Association of British Drivers, said: ‘This impressive result has been achieved following the removal of so-called traffic calming measures. The evidence shows that Barnet’s roads are now safer.’
In 2003, the London Ambulance Service said speed bumps could be responsible for up to 500 deaths annually among heart attack patients on their way to hospital.
r.massey@dailymail.co.uk

It might be RTTM at work before you get too excited but there is no harm in saying look how removing humps drops casualties....

OTOH, they were hardly likely to have waited until just after an uncharacteristic spate of accidents before removing the humps - unlike certain other parties.

The figures mean Barnet has exceeded Government targets demanding a 40 per cent accident cut by 2010. Accidents are down 45 per cent four years ahead of deadline.

They also widened some streets.
Instead of choking junctions to restrict car access, Barnet improved motorists’ ‘sight-lines’. In addition it ripped out mini-roundabouts which increased congestion.

The aim was improve flow on major routes so drivers would not need to use rat runs, so reducing the accident rate in residential areas.