Installedatwhimrandomlybylocalsinviolationofthelaw,withthe authoritieslookingtheotherway,speedbreakersharmmorethanhelp. Themostcustomarymethodforregulatingtrafficremainstheuseoftraffic calmingdevices,commonlyreferredtoasvehiclespeedreducers.
Thesecalmingmechanismsakaspeedbreakersareemployedtoprevent accidentsandoftenturnintothecauseofaccidents,injuriesandlossoflife, ifemployedincorrectly.
Sadly,inIndia,speedbreakersareinstalledatthesweetwhimofvociferous residentsenjoyingthepatronageoflocalpoliticalleaderswhilegivingthe lawamiss.
Acrosstheworld,twovarietiesofspeedbumps verticalandhorizontal areutilisedtomaintainspeedswithinacceptablelimitsinaccordancewith thelaw.However,somepoorlydesignedandirregularspeedbumpsleadto variousaccidents.Despitethis,thefocushasshiftedtowardsintelligent speedbumpsthatarenotonlysaferbutalsomoreecologicallysound comparedtotraditionalones.
Inthefast-pacedworld,prominentvehiclemanufacturersarealways strivingtocreateincreasinglyhigh-poweredvehicles.Astechnology advances,thesecompaniesaredesigningfastervehicles,oftenneglecting theenvironmentalimpact.Thiscanleadtohazardousspeedinganda heightenedriskofaccidents.Thechallengeliesincurbingsuch"overspeeding,"theprincipalcauseoffatalaccidents.
Presently,bothdevelopinganddevelopednationsfaceconsiderable difficultiesincontrollingover-speeding,whichisasignificantcontributor tofatalaccidents.Extensiveresearchindicatesthatover-speeding, combinedwithalackofroadsafetyawareness,drunkdriving,reckless behaviour,overtaking,trafficruleviolations,anddistractionssuchasphone usageandadjustingradios,aretheprimarycausesofaccidents.
Drivingwhilefatiguedmayappearinnocuous,yetithasbeenproventobea majorcontributortofatalaccidents.
AccordingtoaWorldHealthOrganization’sGlobalStatusReportonRoad Safety,accidentsresultin1.35milliondeathsglobally.In2021,statesand unionterritoriesreportedatotalof4,12,432roadaccidents,resultingin 1,53,972deathsandinjuriesto3,84,448individuals.Indiaranksfirstinthe numberofroadaccidentsamong200countriesandaccountsfornearly11 percentofaccident-relateddeathsglobally.
InaccordancewiththeguidelinesestablishedbytheIndianRoadCongress, dated12thJune1987,speedbumpsinIndiashouldbesituatedonminor roadsasperthefollowingdirectives:
Theapplicationofspeedbumpsisdeemedappropriateonlyunderthese threespecificcircumstances:
• T-junctions connecting minor roads with rural trunk highways, characterized by relatively low traffic volumes on the minor road yet exceptionally high average operational speeds and inadequate sight distances. These locations exhibit a significant history of fatal accidents, hence the recommendation for a speed bump on the minor road.
• Intersections where minor roads meet major roads, and sections within urban areas that fall between intersections, where it is desirable to lower vehicular speeds.
• Selected local streets within residential areas, educational institutions such as schools, colleges, or university campuses, hospitals, and similar areas. Additionally, in zones where traffic exceeds the prescribed or safe speed for the area.
Furthersituationswherespeedbumpsmaybeemployedinclude:
• Any scenario where a consistent pattern of accidents is primarily attributed to vehicle speed. For instance, on hazardous segments following an extended straight approach.
• Approaches to temporary diversions.
• Approaches to weak or narrow bridges and culverts that necessitate speed reduction for safety reasons.
• On the minor arms of unregulated junctions and at railway level crossings.
• Sharp bends with inadequate visibility distances.
Areasmarkedbycontinuousdevelopment,wheretheroadpassesthrough built-upregionsandhigh-speedvehiclesposeasubstantialthreatto pedestrians.
TheIndianRoadsCongressrecommendsthatspeedbumpsbeconstructed withabasicdesignofaroundedhump(witharadiusof17metres), measuring3.7metresinwidthand0.10metresinheight.
Thisdesignaimstoachieveanadvisedcrossingspeedof25km/hfor generaltraffic.
Additionally,itissuggestedthatmultiplehumpsbeinstalledatregular intervalsbasedonthedesiredspeedandtheacceleration/deceleration characteristicsofvehicles.
Thespacingbetweenconsecutivehumpscanvaryfrom100metresto120 metres,measuredfromthecentreofonehumptothecentreofanother.
Violationsofthelawaregalore.Acaseinpointbeing:Onthe300-metre stretchofSouthMumbai’sColabaprecinctnearGatewayofIndia,fromThe TajMahalPalaceHoteltoRadioClubareawhopping39SpeedBreakersof allshapesandsizesandinstalledcompletelyillegallyatthewhimoffancyfreelocalresidentsintheby-lanesandallalongMereWeatherRoadthat runsparallelbetweenthetouristyApolloBundarRoad,alongtheGateway ofIndiastretch,andthemainShahidBhagatsinghRoad,connectingRegalto ColabaMarket
TheIRCguidelines,forallpracticalpurposes,aredodgedconveniently. Whiletheworld’stouristsconvergeatthezone,thelawisfloutedwithwild abandon.
ThatisuntilaVIPvisitsthezone,whichisoftenconsideringthezone’s proximitytoINSShikra,whenalltheillegalspeedbreakersarebrokenand removedovernight:Needlesstosay,thespeedbreakersswiftlyreappear oncetheVIPleaves.
Accordingto The New York Times,speedbumpswerefirstintroducedin Chatham,NewJersey,in1906.Thisconceptofslowingdownvehicles gainedattentionacrossvariousinstitutions,withitsinitialpractical applicationinChatham.
In1953,ArthurHollyCompton,arenownedphysicistandChancellorof WashingtonUniversity,conceptualizedspeedbreakers,whichhelater referredtoas"trafficcontrolhumps."Subsequently,hebegandeveloping variousspeedbumpdesigns.
AnInstituteofTransportationEngineersarticleconfirmedthatthefirst speedbumpwasimplementedinEuropein1970intheNetherlands.A comprehensivereportfromtheBritishTransportandRoadResearch Laboratoryin1973extensivelyexaminedvehiclebehaviourwithdifferent speedbumpgeometries.
Althoughpublicroadinstallationsofspeedbumpsareprohibited,theyare allowedonprivateroads.
Globally,trafficcalmingdevices,commonlyknownasspeedbumps,are categorisedintofourdistinctforms:speedbumps,speedhumps,speed cushions,andspeedtables.
Speed Bumps are raised portions of road designed to encourage safe and slower driving. They have a rounded structure and typically vary in height from three to six inches. Speed bumps are often installed in parking lots and on private roads. Due to the discomfort, they cause at higher speeds, they are not commonly used on public roadways. Vehicles encountering speed bumps should ideally slow down to approximately five miles per hour or less.
Speed Humps have a circular, parabolic, or sinusoidal shape. They are slightly raised areas across the road that create a gentle rocking motion in vehicles, leading to a reduction in vehicle velocity to around 15 miles - 20 miles per hour. Speed humps on roads are usually 3 inches to 4 inches in height, with a travel length of up to 22 feet. They
effectively control vehicle speed without causing discomfort during driving.
Speed Cushions are a series of small speed humps installed across the road, featuring wheel cut-outs at specific distances. They are a variant of speed humps, designed to control the speed of regular passenger vehicles while allowing emergency vehicles to pass freely.
Speed Tables are flat-topped traffic calming devices, akin to extended and broad speed humps. They are commonly used in residential areas and busy pedestrian zones. The primary purpose of speed tables is to lower vehicle speeds to a safe limit and potentially divert traffic to other routes.
Amongthefourtypes,speedbumpsandspeedhumpsarethemostutilised worldwide,servingasverticalbarriersdesignedtoinducemilddiscomfort inordertoreducevehiclespeed.
Speedbumpseffectivelyreducevehicleover-speedingandmitigatetherisk ofaccidents.Numerousstudiescorroboratetheirabilitytoachievethis effect.However,itcannotbedeniedthatspeedbumpshavealsogained notorietyforcausingaccidentsandinjuries.
Researchhasexaminedtheimpactofspeedbumps,concludingthatwhile theycontributetoaccidents,theycanalsoleadtoseriousbodilyharm, includingspinalcordinjuries,vertebralcompression,diskprolapse,neck pain,slipdisks,spineinjuries,andbackpain.
India'sMinistryofRoadTransportandHighwaysreportedthatninelives arelosteachdayduetofaultyandunscientificspeedbumps,contributing tonearly50accidentsdaily.Reportsindicatethatwhendesignedpoorly, speedbumpscanbeequallyhazardousforbuspassengersandother motorists.
InJune2016,a20-year-oldcivilengineerfellfromaPMPMLbusafter hittingafaultyspeedbumponthePune-MumbaihighwayatPhugewadi.On thesameday,ayounggirlfromChinchwadfelloffabusduetoafaulty speedbump,sufferingasevereheadinjuryandeventuallysuccumbingtoit.
Speedbumpscausesignificantdamagetovehicles,resultingindamageto criticalcomponentssuchasthefrontbumper,engineoilpangasket,brakes, suspension,tubetires,andotherinternalparts.
Varioussourcescontributetonoisepollution,includingindustrialactivities, householdapplianceslikemixersandvacuumcleaners,construction,city
streets,highways,andpublicworks.Transportation,encompassingroad vehicles,airlines,andrailways,isamajorandconsistentnoisepollution source.
Astudyexaminingtheimpactofspeedbumpsonroadnoiselevelsfound thatnoisevolumevariedbetween71dBto80dBwithoutspeedbumps, increasingbyanadditional5dBduetospeedbumps,particularlyfor lorriesandthree-wheelers.Theresultsdemonstratedasignificantnoise volumeimpactnearspeedbumpsforvariousvehiclecategories.
Toaddresstheriskofaccidentsstemmingfromfaultyspeedbumps,several countrieshaveembarkedonthedevelopmentofsmartspeedbump solutions,includingautomatedspeedbumps,hydraulicspeedbumps,liquid speedbumps,andthree-dimensionalspeedbumps.
Commendably,in2016,theNewDelhiMunicipalCouncil(NDMC)too introducedaninnovativeconceptintherealmoftrafficcalmingdevicesby implementingthree-dimensional(3D)paintedspeedbumpsonBajajMarg. Thesevirtualspeedbumpsappearasrealones,providingawaytoavoid accidentscausedbyirregularspeedbumps.
Hyderabad'strafficcontroldeployedaninnovativeLEDspeedbumpatthe KBRParkjunctionasanexperimentalmeasuretomanagetrafficanddeter speeding.Theoutcomeofthisexperimentwilldeterminefurther installationsacrossthecity.Thisnovelapproachhasthepotentialto revolutionisetrafficcontrolmethods,prioritisingbothsafetyandefficiency.
Smartphone-basedsoftwareknownastheSpeed-breakerEarlyWarning System(SWAS)offersanadvancedsolutionforalertingdriversto approachingspeedbumps.ThisapplicationutilisesGPStodetectnearby speedbumpsandprovidestimelyalertstodrivers,evenintheabsenceof roadsignsorvisiblemarkings.
Thissmartphone-basedsystemhastheadvantageofbeingbothsmartand budget-friendly.AnotherintriguingconceptinvolvesPowerGenerator SpeedBumps,whichharnessthekineticenergyofvehiclespassingover themtogeneratepollution-freeenergy.Thisinnovativeapproachaddresses twoissuessimultaneously:trafficcontrolandenergygeneration.
Thesespeedbumpsfeatureasophisticatedlinearmechanismwithisolated translatorsthatabsorbthekineticenergyofvehiclesandconvertitinto mechanicalenergythroughanelectromechanicalprocess.Thismechanical
energyissubsequentlyconvertedintoelectricalenergyusingagenerator andstoredinbatteries.
Nexttothedeterrenceofferedbygoodoldpolicepresenceandlegal intervention,themostcost-effectiveandconvenientmeansofcontrolling vehiclespeedsremainsspeedbumpsorspeedhumps,classifiedastraffic calmingdevices.
Theseinstallationsareintendedforthesafetyofroadusers.However, improperimplementationanddesignofspeedbumpswithoutadheringto properparameters,asistherule,provesdestructivetovehicles, contributestoincreasedtrafficnoiseandaugmentsrisktohumanlifeand limb.
Inadequatelydesignedspeedbumps,whethertalloroverlysteep,canbe disruptivefordrivers,particularlythosewithvehiclespossessinglow groundclearance.Evenatverylowspeeds,manysportscarsface difficultieswithsuchspeedbumps.
Whiletraditionalspeedbumpsareeffectiveinreducingspeedingand preventingaccidents,theycanalsocontributetoaccidents,injuries,vehicle damage,andnoisepollution.Innovativesolutions,suchassmartspeed bumpsandpowergeneratorspeedbumps,arebeingexploredtoenhance roadsafetyandovercomethelimitationsofconventionalspeedbumps.
Now,whilethelawwherespeedbreakersareconcernediswellinplace,as longaspettylocalscontinueto‘construct’speedbreakersatwhim,even garnersupportfromlocalpoliticiansandcivicauthorities,itrestsuponthe judiciarytoaddress,withitsoverarchingwisdom,theissueofillegalspeed breakersespeciallyinburgeoningcitieslikeMumbai,pintheonusofthe illegalityontherelevantcivicentityandpassanorderenforcingthelaw,in PublicInterest,toupholdtheRighttoLifeofcitizensinthestate.
Tillthen,morethantheriskofspeed,humanlivesremainatrisk.
By Gajanan Khergamker