[Epic]

Hi guys,

I drive a Swift and use the Bandra-Worli Sea Link daily to and fro while commuting to office and back home respectively. Now, those in Mumbai are aware that there are these 'so called' speed breakers/arrestors installed on the sea link to slow down vehicles and prevent them from over speeding. Very frankly, they are useless, or so I feel, as while vehicles like the Premier Padmini taxis and smaller vehicles like the Maruti 800 slow down before driving over these speed controllers, other cars drive over them at speeds over 60-70 kmph. This is also a potential hazzard as there is a huge chance of a bigger speeding vehicle ramming into one of these smaller vehicles who have slowed down at these speed arrestors.

I myself drive at a speed between 40-50 kmph and do not slow down at these speed controllers; probably with the fear of being rammed from behind by a bigger speeding car, but it is still no excuse so my bad! My car does rattle a great extend while driving over these speed arrestors and the effect is probably magnified due to my 205/55/R15 wheels so no idea how they feel in a car with stock wheels. The feeling is probably more comfortable.

However, my question is, what could be the effect of driving at such speeds over these speed arrestors? I am sure the suspension must be taking a certain level of beating which could be bad in the long run??

[ghodlur]

Same question in regards to the speed arrestors put all over on the eastern express highway. These are put in a strange zig zag manner so that anyway you move on these, you going to feel the thud thud effect. Have seen cars simply racing over these arrestors. Dont know whether the suspensions wil be affected by these.

There are better places where the suspensions might take a beating esp on the pot holed roads in Mumbai.

[Bomi]

Over a prolonged time, the suspension bushes will be first to go, I think. I do slow down over the flattish speed breakers, just after the "knobbly" ones on the sea-link, as my cars suspension is fairly stiff.

[revtech]

im sure sooner or later it will affect the suspension. but i dont slow down for them.quite frankly i think they should be removed

[ghpk]

can someone post a pic of "speed arrestors"
haven't seen it, and my city would need a decade, before they have this implemented.

[vigsom]

Taking rumblers at 30kmph or so would do lesser damage to your suspension than taking them at say 5 kmph.I have been navigating such rumblers for over 8 years here and say this from my experience.

This funda,however, does not hold good for the regular speed breakers(the single hump type),where it is better to slow down to say 5-10kmph.

[SirAlec]

Struts/dampers will take the beating easily, its manufactured for such cases right, Surely it will lower its life in the long run.

What are more prone to damages easily are following
1. trailing arm
2. torrison bar
3. wheel rims (hence balancing problem which will eventually lead to uneven tire wear)
4. tierod, its ends and Steering (hence alignment problem which will eventually lead to uneven tire wear)
5. drive shaft bearing

Most common of above are alignment and balancing problem. Hence premature tire wear.

[rajivanoj]

i am sure, speed breakers and arresters in india does impact the life of car. Since we dont have it in regulated measurement. Metros and tier II cities have speed breakers of regulated dimensions and clearence.

Rural areas and semi urban roads have breakers which breaks our cars by hitting under chassis and wheel rim directly.

[siddharthdeb]

Great thread Epic,

Actually i had posted this query in one of the thread, and did not get a reply so am really glad you started one.

The Speed breakers on the sea-link might appear to be of the 'mild' category on the basis of their height but the fact that they are placed a few feet apart in succession makes them deadlier.

While i used the gung-ho approach to the speed breakers initially, the rattles on the car (esp if you have a Swift ) are just amplified. Even my service adviser at Vitesse Prabhadevi, insisted that i either change my route(which i would not) or face an early suspension work bill. He suggested that i use the slow and slower approach to this.

This obviously means two things
1. You have to abuse your brakes a lot, considering the acceleration and deacceleration that happens in between the two speed breakers leading to a relatively cheaper bill of brake pads vis-a-vis a suspension overhaul.
2. You have to be alert that the person behind you does not smother you despite the posted speed limit on the sea link is 50 kmph.

While i agree that speed breakers should be removed form the sea link, the inability of us all to respect the law which we don't no offense meant (today mornings accident would prove it a wrecked Corolla) there is simply no other way to slow the errant motorists who are just not a threat to themselves but also others.

I guess till the point the fear of the speeding fine and the fact of fear of the cop really seeps in to a vast majority of the speeders, these car killers are the only way to slow things down.

Sid

P.S. on a personal note i hate the ones on the sea link as they are on my route

[Yashodeep]

Excellent Thread Epic!

Whenever I am commuting on the BWSL, I stick to the extreme left lane and slow down to 20 kms/ 2nd gear. Those bumps are excruciating and I love cars and I can actually feel their pain :P

Getting over the emotional stuff, I advice all car lovers to save your beloved cars and slow down to almost dead speed since the speed arresters do only damage to your car and nothing else. Also, I think team-bhp should file a plea with Mumbai Traffic Police to remove such 'un-healthy' speed deterrents.

Y.

[Maverick1977]

The speed arresters are a good initiative, but do not seem to have the desired effect on the REAL people it has been intended. What I am trying to say is those who speed & go fast still continue to do so. I saw a BMW go at break neck speeds & simply fly over these so called speed arresters.
However as pointed out its becoming a recipe for disaster since not every one (actually very few people) really bothers to slow down risking hitting slower vehicles. I saw a funny thing a couple of day back - A blue Beat turned on his hazard lights when he came close to the arresters. I am quite surprised & asked my fellow passenger who said that this was being done to inform other drivers that he was slowing down. Unique but quite confusing since I though that he had a break down.
One thing I will agree is that the sea link has been ruined because of this shortsightedness on the part of the Govt.

[SS-Traveller]

Aah! Speed breakers...

So who said one should follow the guidelines when constructing them? Does anyone constructing them know that there ARE such guidelines?

For rural roads in PMGSY single speed breaker may be provided on both sides of such locations as per design suggested in Fig.1 – “Recommended. Specifications for rounded hump type of speed breaker for general traffic at preferred crossing of 25 kmph”. This can be constructed by providing a rounded (17 meter radius) hump of 3.7m width and 10 cms height...

[Epic]

Originally Posted by siddharthdeb

Great thread Epic,

Actually i had posted this query in one of the thread, and did not get a reply so am really glad you started one.

The Speed breakers on the sea-link might appear to be of the 'mild' category on the basis of their height but the fact that they are placed a few feet apart in succession makes them deadlier.

While i used the gung-ho approach to the speed breakers initially, the rattles on the car (esp if you have a Swift ) are just amplified. Even my service adviser at Vitesse Prabhadevi, insisted that i either change my route(which i would not) or face an early suspension work bill. He suggested that i use the slow and slower approach to this.

This obviously means two things
1. You have to abuse your brakes a lot, considering the acceleration and deacceleration that happens in between the two speed breakers leading to a relatively cheaper bill of brake pads vis-a-vis a suspension overhaul.
2. You have to be alert that the person behind you does not smother you despite the posted speed limit on the sea link is 50 kmph.

While i agree that speed breakers should be removed form the sea link, the inability of us all to respect the law which we don't no offense meant (today mornings accident would prove it a wrecked Corolla) there is simply no other way to slow the errant motorists who are just not a threat to themselves but also others.

I guess till the point the fear of the speeding fine and the fact of fear of the cop really seeps in to a vast majority of the speeders, these car killers are the only way to slow things down.

Sid

P.S. on a personal note i hate the ones on the sea link as they are on my route

Hey Sid, even I saw that wrecked Corolla this morning on my way to work. Wonder what had happened as its left suspension was totally broken and the wheel had totally collapsed. Hope it was not the after effects of flying over these speed arrestors. A pretty sorry sight though.

Originally Posted by Yashodeep

Excellent Thread Epic!

Whenever I am commuting on the BWSL, I stick to the extreme left lane and slow down to 20 kms/ 2nd gear. Those bumps are excruciating and I love cars and I can actually feel their pain :P

Getting over the emotional stuff, I advice all car lovers to save your beloved cars and slow down to almost dead speed since the speed arresters do only damage to your car and nothing else. Also, I think team-bhp should file a plea with Mumbai Traffic Police to remove such 'un-healthy' speed deterrents.

Y.

But what is more ridiculous is that due to cars flying over these 'so called' speed arrestors, they have been literally ripped off the road and are totally missing at some places making it easier to just drive over that area at full speed.

Originally Posted by Maverick1977

The speed arresters are a good initiative, but do not seem to have the desired effect on the REAL people it has been intended. What I am trying to say is those who speed & go fast still continue to do so. I saw a BMW go at break neck speeds & simply fly over these so called speed arresters.
However as pointed out its becoming a recipe for disaster since not every one (actually very few people) really bothers to slow down risking hitting slower vehicles. I saw a funny thing a couple of day back - A blue Beat turned on his hazard lights when he came close to the arresters. I am quite surprised & asked my fellow passenger who said that this was being done to inform other drivers that he was slowing down. Unique but quite confusing since I though that he had a break down.
One thing I will agree is that the sea link has been ruined because of this shortsightedness on the part of the Govt.

Yes it is best and safe to drive at a constant speed of 40-50 kmph on the extreme left lane and slow down gradually from a distance to an almost dead stop to take these speed arrestors but one had to keep a constant watch in the rear view mirrors to watch out for maniacs. Thats is what I do everyday.