Unscientifically constructed speed breakers are not only causing accidents but also damaging vehicles.
Many speed breakers are not constructed scientifically as they are either too high or damaged and are not being maintained properly. Not only they cause accidents but also damage vehicles.
According to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, speed breakers in India cause 30 crashes every day.
It gets difficult for the driver to make out if there is any speed breaker ahead as these road bumps are not even painted and there are no sign boards near it.
Chandrashekar, an auto driver says, “Because of big speed breakers my auto got damaged several times and each time had to spend Rs.4000 to Rs.5000 on its repair and had to pay Rs.500 to Rs.600 separately to the mechanic.”
According to the norms prescribed by the Indian Road Congress (IRC) an ideal and scientific speed breaker should have a radius of 17m with a height of 0.1m and a width of 3.7m. And a sign board should be placed at a distance of 40 meters from the speed breaker.
Rohit, an assistant engineer in the BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike) in TEC (Traffic Engineering Cell) says, “If any unscientific speed breaker is found and someone complains about that then action will be taken and it will be removed.”
Expert says that for night visibility it is desirable that the speed breaker and sign boards have luminous paint and strips. But that’s not the case in many places.
Prof.M.N.Shreehari, a traffic expert says, “The Indian Road Congress and Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, had already banned the speed breaker because 99 percent are constructed unscientifically. It is only a hump created like that which is unscientific for driving also, as a speeding car will overshoot that. So most of the places it is not even painted nor sign boards available for them and in main road it is causing more danger also. In all the highways they are removing one by one, but even in city in urban roads also, they must remove all the speed breakers for the safety of the road users. Earlier for the safety they were putting the speed breakers, now for the safety of the road user they have to remove the speed breaker and put all the painted ones.”
The purpose of a speed breaker is to save people from over-speeding and to enhance road safety. But poorly constructed speed breakers have become a threat to road safety.
