Caution! ‘Speed-Breakers’ or ‘Life-Breakers’?

Caution! ‘Speed-Breakers’ or ‘Life-Breakers’?

Caution! Speed-Breakers or Life-Breakers? Newly installed Unscientific Speed-Breakers are Dangerous to Motorists

Mangaluru: This morning, 29 December 2016, a two-wheeler rider lost control and fell on the road injuring himself very badly, while coming down from Nanthoor towards Kadri (near Kadri Chefs)- thanks to the newly installed unscientific plastic/fibre black and yellow colored speed breaker on this stretch of Nanthoor-Kadri road, without any warning signs. Speed breakers like this one have been installed at many spots on the city’s roads recently- and the bad part is that none of these have warning signs while motorists approach close to them.

Recalling the news that we published on our website on 12/29/2013, the then Deputy Commissioner N Prakash had ordered the MCC to remove all those unscientific plastic/fibre black and yellow speed breakers stating that they were not durable, and not scientific. The bolts from these speed breakers will harm the vehicles. DC Prakash had advised the concerned authorities to remove all the plastic speed breakers and to install permanent and scientific speed breakers. Now once again when such unsafe speed-breakers have been installed, does it make any sense? Seems like when DC’s change, the speed-breakers also change!

Accidents like the one that took place this morning due to the speed breakers are common throughout the city, but since no one reports these accidents occurred due to speed humps to MCC or the traffic police, the accidents still continue. How often have you been caught unawares by that huge bump or speed breaker on the road without a signboard warning before it? Very often. By an estimate, almost 90% of these humps in Mangaluru are unscientific. As per IRC standards, only narrow roads can have scientifically built parabolic humps and not main, wide roads. Then why do we have so many speed humps in the city? Then why aren’t our city officials not following the rules? And if they are constructing these speed breakers/road humps/speed bumps, then why aren’t they erecting caution signs about these speed controllers?

The authorities have constructed many speed breakers on various roads in the city. But the height of these breakers does not conform to norms that have been set by the Indian Road Congress (IRC). As per IRC, an ideal road hump should be 4 inches high and 11.5 feet wide, but however, not many Speed Humps in the city are designed as per IRC specifications. Two-wheelers and three-wheelers frequently lose balance due to the height of these breakers. Commuting has become very dangerous at night due to this, and especially for out-of-town motorists these speed breakers are very dangerous without any warning signs.

Where the humps are actually needed to control motorists reckless speed, there are none of them – but on the other hand where speed breakers are actually not needed there are quite a few every few meters. Frankly speaking, speed humps in the city continue to be a nightmare for motorists, thanks to unscientific designs and the absence of warning boards. These speed breakers pose a threat to motorists, instead of providing a safe and smooth ride. They seem to be executed as per the whims and fancies of the authorities of the PWD and Mangaluru City Corporation. While over-speeding and reckless driving cause accidents, unscientific speed bumps could catch a motorist unawares. The absence of white paint or radium-painting on these speed bumps pose a danger to motorists, especially at nighttime. Many of these speed humps lack markings, no lights overhead to alert motorists and no traffic signs to warn them in advance.

The speed breakers should be parabolic for smooth road crossing and should be painted and properly illuminated. Rows of solar energy-based cat eyes should be laid before the humps. Sign boards should be erected to warn the drivers/riders- well ahead of a speed hump. Speed bumps are usually painted with black and yellow stripes to draw a driver’s attention before he reaches the bump. Without these indicators, drivers would hit the speed bump at higher speeds, resulting in a jolt to passengers and potential damage to the vehicle. When vehicles pass over these humps, the spine is hurt, and speeding vehicles often meet with accidents if they fail to slow down at these humps.

The unscientifically built road humps across the city are something that Mangaloreans need to complain about, as they not only pose a threat to the spines of motorists but also to vehicles. It is necessary that the highways department or local body should put up a warning sign 40m ahead of the speed breaker. If the government follows the IRC norms, it will help reduce accidents in the city. Speed breakers should also be painted with the correct yellow and white marks, but that’s what is lacking here in the city. Does anyone care about it? Are our city and traffic authorities waiting for more causalities of motorists or what? It is time for the commuters/motorists to raise their voice against these unsafe “speed breakers” which are “life breakers” to the concerned local civic authorities. Let us do it for a good cause and for the safety of our lives and for the lives of the citizens. Safety is much important than being sorry later. Let’s do it, before it’s too late.