[sri_tesla]

This is a very welcome move by government, but I wonder if this is still really a problem in many of the highways at all?

The highways I travel regularly (Hyderabad - Vijayawada, Vijayawada - Guntur) does not have any speed breakers except at toll gates.

[autobahnjpr]

A welcome move by the ministry - specially for the NH. Most of the times, after a hit and run case, the obvious solution for the locals is to construct speed breakers as many as possible and bowing to the pressure the local authorities do it quickly. As the contractor who does it may not have either experience or incentive to do it properly, you will find different types of speed breakers at different places.

• Single hump but with short curvature
• Big hump with large curvature
• multiple small humps - count varies from 3 to 8
• A platform hump where there is rise then a flat surface and then decline
• Vehicle breaker hump where big humps are place next to each other

In addition to removal of speed breakers, it is important that there should be proper marking and signage to warn the driver of the same. If there are multiple types of speed breakers the signages should be different for each one.
The speed breakers should themselves to clearly marked with radium strips so that they are clearly visible in the night.And on the road there should be marking about 50 M before to warn a presence of one.

I hope the directive is implement in the right spirit and all the unauthorized and improper speed breakers are removed in the next few months.
Also hope that the above recommendations are also implemented to ensure lesser hazard during road travel.

[GeeTee TSI]

Hazards and possible damage aside, speed breakers (or traffic calming, as this Autocar article puts it beautifully) have a significant impact on fuel wastage and long term wear and tear.
http://www.autocar.co.uk/blogs/anyth...amage-your-car

Hope the authorities see it in the same light as toll booths (at least in MH) - retain only the few major ones, remove the numerous redundant ones.

[srvm]

Originally Posted by Swapnil4585

.....
There have to be well marked speed breakers when nearing a village / small town and after exiting it. Don't mind if they're too big a size or not. But they've to be marked. I frequently use the N H 3 from Dhule towards Mumbai and have seen horrible accident because of the absence of speed breakers, due to carelessness of both, speeding vehicle and villagers.

The villagers must be given an alternative (underpass) to crossing the highway, so that they cross safely, without hindering the flow of the highway traffic. Then, those black - yellow cab drivers must be disciplined to take the service road near villages / small towns, for their business. I'm happy to slow down upon nearing a town, whether there are breakers or not. Factually, we're still on the opposite side of this Government Order.

Well said sir.

Just adding my 2 cents here.
I see that the infamous Bangalore-Mysore highway (NH-275) has already featured in this thread numerous times. I was driving on it myself just yesterday. The speed-breakers are ridiculously shaped and most of them do have warning signs ahead of them. The bigger problem I see in this particular highway is dangerous/rash driving and tailgating. Other than putting up humongous speed-breakers what else can the locals do. They have my utmost sympathies. This highway passes right through so many towns with very few pedestrian crossings or signals. Unless the locals are given a viable alternative it makes no sense to dump the blame on them for putting up those ridiculuous speed breakers.

Sorry for OT here - There was an accident yesterday just before Wonderla (when coming from Bangalore towards Mysore) on this highway. This is the 3rd time last year (out of my 4 visits to Mysore) I have witnessed an accident on this highway. Whenever I go on this highway, I always wonder if I'll be the next victim on this highway.

[Vinodh_Gowda]

Originally Posted by couswheels

Removal of speed beakers should not result in putting barricades which was done in Bangalore - Mysore Road

Nice one but then people who travel by this road know that this isn't a joke but a hard reality. What's worse is the bypass road to hunsur (right turn at Columbia Asia hospital signal) is also filled with speedbreakers+barricade combo. What makes even worse is that the reflective stickers pasted on the barricades are way too distracting at night.

Originally Posted by Turbohead

I doubt if they will remove the speed breakers in Bangalore-Mysore road. It's an SH after all with priority given to the side roads rather than the highway itself( I understand that there are no speed breakers for the side roads connecting to the highway)
Let's hope for the best anyway

Frankly, the number of speedbreakers have reduced drastically over the years. A couple of years back, I and my friends had counted a total of 93 speedbreakers on our way back from Mysuru to Bengaluru.

Originally Posted by srvm

Well said sir.

Just adding my 2 cents here.
I see that the infamous Bangalore-Mysore highway (NH-275) has already featured in this thread numerous times. I was driving on it myself just yesterday. The speed-breakers are ridiculously shaped and most of them do have warning signs ahead of them. The bigger problem I see in this particular highway is dangerous/rash driving and tailgating. Other than putting up humongous speed-breakers what else can the locals do. They have my utmost sympathies. This highway passes right through so many towns with very few pedestrian crossings or signals. Unless the locals are given a viable alternative it makes no sense to dump the blame on them for putting up those ridiculous speed breakers.

Agree with you and also I too had been to Mysuru and back yesterday. However, must agree that the speed-breakers are reduced allot now. Few months back the newly installed barricades replaced the speed-breakers but then noticed that they too are removed (majority have taken a hit by the trucks I guess ). Speed-breakers /barricades at major villages is fine but the problem is to be blamed on the eateries which have creeped up over the years. New concern now are the removed\retracted barricades. They were fixed to the edge of the road and hence even when retracted a good part of it is still at the edge. I feel it is an invitation for disaster owing to the things you have mentioned like over-speeding and tailgating majorly.

[King_pin09]

This is an exceptionally good move by the Government.

I hope it is implemented on priority without time lags. As a frequent highway driver I can say that most of the speed breakers on the highway are made in haste (i.e., no markings, no sign boards, etc) and are very unforgiving to the vehicles esp Cars; so much so that they may even turn out to be detrimental in cases.

In many cases these speed breakers are made without even considering the camber of the road but instead it is laid to form a uniform top level. In other words, for a two way carriage way the speed breaker will have lesser raised hump at the centre than at the shoulders. Besides I have even seen some highways where a speed breaker is provided only for a part of the carriage way i.e., for a 4 laned high way the speed breakers are provided for only one lane on either side whilst other 2 lanes are normal. This leads to streaming of all vehicles to the lane where the Speed breaker (s) is not extended thus causing snarls.

Overall I am glad that the Government has woken up to the calls.

[@Chaand]

Nice move.
Inclusion of Rumbler strips is a good move.
Approaching them are any speed above 40, does rattle the vehicle.
Wonder how this will pan out for NH17 (from an implementation perspective) where there are numerous such obstacles specially in Maharashtra.

Will this now give rise to illegal and unmarked speedbreakers?

[vamsi2390]

This is a very good move being taken up. The reasons being these speed humps are put up at places without proper marking/sign boards which result in panic braking during nights. Even in case they are marked, over a course of time which lets assume an year no one bothers to repaint/maintain them.

There was an occasion where i was driving from Hyderabad to Bangalore. The very same road within Telangana and A.P was brilliantly maintained with proper markings for rubber strips all through out. But once in Karnataka there was a slight right turn say some 70 to 80 kms before Bangalore and there was a hump which was huge without any markings.
This is apart from the fact that it was on a turn. I had to panic brake from about 100kmph and still managed to take off into the air. That was one scary experience to say the least. Thank god the road wasn't wet.
I would like to see how this amendment is going to effect the road condition on NHs going through Karnataka which normally employs some very dangerous, unmarked and huge speed breakers all through out the state.

[sandsun7]

Originally Posted by Turbohead

I doubt if they will remove the speed breakers in Bangalore-Mysore road. It's an SH after all with priority given to the side roads rather than the highway itself( I understand that there are no speed breakers for the side roads connecting to the highway)
Let's hope for the best anyway

It is no more a SH, but is a national highway , numbered NH 275. (Bangalore-Mysore-Madikeri-Bantwal). So, they ought to comply with this order.
A majority of the speed humps were removed a year ago or so. Hopefully , the remaining unscientific ones too would be removed soon.

[Asish_VK]

Given our infrastructure and people mentality, I think this is a 'not so good' move.

Most of our highways have lots of intersections at small towns and villages where people have no other way to cross it (read under or over pass), they have to cross the highway by taking risks.

Also, there are only few drivers who ride responsibly in our highways, (eg. reduce the speed while reaching intersections/villages/small towns etc.)

Given the situation, I strongly believe we need Speed breakers. BUT, properly marked and scientifically made.
Also proper crossing facilities like bridges or underpasses.

Just my opinion

[avisidhu]

Never been to the Bangalore-Mysore stretch, but the highway from Delhi towards Ganganagar is badly infested with crude and outright dangerous bumps mostly in the Rohtak stretch (at almost all villages along the road). God knows how many people have had terrible accidents or damages owing to these.

But considering the general lawlessness in this area, would be very surprised if someone has the guts to remove these even after the GOI order.

[jaglanR]

Hold your horses guys, there has been these guidelines before as well. After searching internet you would come to know that this question has been raised in Lok Sabha as well. In case of NH-10, there is even Punjab and Haryana High court order to remove all speed breakers. Authorities just removed few to file reply and now situation is same again. GOI order is too small thing to matter in such case, when a law is not followed.
Kindly note that generally we deal with state governments, which even fails to remove vendors from road to remove congestion, so it is highly unlikely they will up against villagers or similar groups to remove speed breakers.

And if we take other perspective in consideration, they are not entirely wrong. Many people drive too rashly even in city lanes and accidents happens on day-to-day basis. If one NH runs through a village, it is responsibility of drivers to drive safe, but that doesn't happens. What is option left with villagers, easiest is, put a speed breaker. Government has no will power or may be resources to construct by-pass/foot over-bridge to avoid such situation. Even our railways crossings are not manned.

So Drive safe, drive responsibly!

[DRPrevs]

Good to see if they are gone. Especially speed breakers without warning signs are real back breakers which could lead to whip-lash injuries, slipped discs etc. And for two-wheelers the bigger danger is injuring your groin.
Speed breakers are to be laid according to IRC norms - "Speed breakers are formed basically by providing a rounded (of 17 metre radius) hump of 3.7 metre width and 0.10 metre height for the preferred advisory crossing speed of 25 km/h for general traffic"
Also IRC says -" An ideally designed hump should satisfy the following requirements : (i) There should be no damage to vehicles nor excessive discomfort to the drivers and passengers when passing at the preferred crossing speed. (ii) The hump should not give rise to excessive noise or cause harmful vibrations to the adjoining buildings or affect the other residents of the area."
In all our cities/towns none of these guidelines are followed. In Chennai we have a couple of speed breakers on a bend - Greenways road which is really uncomfortable to negotiate an its not even marked with stripes. The other speed breaker which makes one paranoid are the hard rubber humps which are bolted to the tarmac. This is uncomfortable to traverse at any speed & after the rubber gets dislodged,the tyres are at the mercy of the bolts.

[DWind]

While I welcome the order for no speed breakers in NH I shudder to think what the alternatives will be for used by our wise traffic enforcers. Hope they do not go the barricade way which will also cause accidents especially when somebody wants to merge into one and cause untold hardships to regular road users when a three lane road suddenly becomes a single lane chicane.

[srishiva]

Recently heard about a case after Chitradurga where the truck slowed abruptly in front of a road hump. A car following had to swerve away and hit a two wheeler with riders suffering serious injuries.

There are some rowdy elements who are laying these humps like they own the roads and local law enforcement should be thrust the responsibility of making sure they dont come up on highways.