Why shouldn’t you choose asphalt speed bumps?

Speed bumps in the road are mainly used to reduce traffic volume in busy and slow zones. There are many types according to the materials for speed bumps. Almost all speed bumps, including asphalt speed bumps and pavement, are known for a good reason at the traffic points.

The durability, effectiveness in controlling traffic flow, traffic management, and a noticeable presence on roads are some plus points about asphalt speed bumps.

You’ll see many parking lots and street corners equipped with wisely installed asphalt cement speed bumps in the UK.

The primary reason for establishing such speed humps is to provide traffic with a safe pathway to pass the road. However, many potential reasons prevent workers and government authorities from choosing the asphalt driveway and speed bumps.

If you’re looking for detailed insight into the reasons why asphalt speed bumps aren’t worth installing on UK roads, the following guide is everything you need!

Understanding the role of asphalt speed bumps

Vertical speed breakers, more precisely called asphalt speed bumps, are famous speed bumps installed on the road, inhibiting the occupants of vehicles from jolting over them quickly.

Besides structural obstacles, they lead to calming the speed of the cars and traffic signals where the speed limit shouldn’t exceed 15 to 20 meters per mile.

The majority of the citizens in the public localities of the UK completely understand the worth of curtailing speeding their vehicles on the road and using traffic barriers.

Thus, safety-conscious people always search for efficient yet safe asphalt speed bumps and signs that slow down traffic speed and promote speed control.

However, with research, the municipal communities and safety authorities have figured out some cons of speed bumps.

However, the importance of speed bumps and traffic calming signs on a roadway can’t be underestimated by their cons or problems. The working authorities can replace them with rubber speed bumps since they are pretty suitable!

Besides increasing the convenience for people to cross the roads safely, asphalt speed humps are more likely to increase the vibration and noise on the road.

Factors for not choosing the asphalt speed bumps

In the UK and other states like the United States, about 40,000 people die in road accidents and mishaps. Most of them are mainly due to the violation of traffic laws and the improper installation of speed bumps or pavement.

Many types of speed bumps, like concrete, asphalt, and rubber speed bumps, can be used. Among them, asphalt speed bumps and impediments decrease traffic and simultaneously cause road mishaps.

That’s why most UK construction industries and paving contractors hesitate to choose asphalt speed bumps. Some of these reasons are explained in the below section:

They increase the noise and vibration on roads

Experts call asphalt speed bumps the most complaining traffic measures since they are commonly known for increasing the noise at the traffic roundabout.

The controversial feature of asphalt speed bumps to increase the perceptible noise on the road enables the workers to avoid using them on roads to control the over-flowing traffic.

It has been observed that vehicles passing through the asphalt speed bump on roads with a particular speed limit cause more noise. But the cars passing through the roads and streets having simple or rubber speed bumps are silent.

That’s why municipal committees, transportation engineers, and the government prefer using rubber speed bumps.

In addition to all of this, trucks and large vehicles cause more vibration and noise on the road when they apply brakes near asphalt speed bumps.

Such speed humps or cushions on the road make the vehicle’s driver apply brakes instantly, thereby maintaining the speed limit on the road. After using brakes, the truck also causes vibration or collision in generating acceleration.

They cause damage to vehicles

All vehicles aren’t intended mainly to cope with the structure and design of the asphalt speed bumps. The leaner or delicately designed vehicles on asphalt roads are mostly damaged when passing over asphalt speed bumps.

That’s why most of them with shallow ground clearances get damaged when they contact the installed speed bumps on the roads or pass through a raised section.

As an alternative to asphalt speed bumps, rubber speed bumps are known not to damage the lower clearance bumper of cars. Let’s take the Porsche 911 as an example of a delicately designed car.

When it passes over asphalt speed bumps with a high or average speed, you will instantly feel a crack on the car’s bumper, leading to severe road mishaps.

Besides the lower clearance bumper of certain cars, it is also noticed that some vehicles don’t have efficient brake shocks to absorb the rapid retardation caused by speed bumps.

This inability of the cars causes most car owners to suffer from mishaps of bending their car’s shape or damaging the oil plan.

Moreover, if you often pass such a car over asphalt speed bumps, it will eventually lose its grip to slow down.

They disrupt traffic patterns

No doubt, asphalt speed bumps are known to give a positive public reception, but at the same time, they are known for diverting or disrupting the traffic pattern, pedestrian, and motorist pattern on UK streets.

With installing asphalt speed bumps on the street, those who drive their cars at high speeds, unaware of the traffic signs, often find an alternative route on the sidewalk. This enables them to maintain high speed on all roads.

Furthermore, the change in the driving pattern of the drivers causes unintended consequences by driving the problem around the streets of the UK.

Most of the transportation consultants’ traffic-engineering departments are observed to solve such problems by advising the communities to install rubber speed bumps.

Moreover, they help devise speed bump plans for solving such problems for the public.

They slow down the emergency response time

The installation of an asphalt speed bump on the roads of the UK is observed to decrease the emergency response time of emergency workers.

Consultants like EMTs or firefighters are always supposed to drive fast during inconvenient circumstances or at the onset of unfavourable conditions. Thus, a one-minute delay in the working efficiency of such vehicles can result in fatal outcomes.

In addition to the delay in the emergency response time of the working bodies, asphalt speed bumps cause life-threatening accidents in large and heavy vehicles like ambulances or fire trucks.

That is why the community authorities prefer to arrange speed bumps to accommodate emergency vehicles. Rubber speed bumps also seem to be the best solution in this case.

They decrease the property values

Undoubtedly, asphalt speed bumps solve traffic problems in many localities in the UK, but they also decrease property worth in many places.

Places with asphalt speed bumps don’t look pleasing to the house owners. The areas equipped with asphalt speed bumps have a yellow and black theme, reducing the property owners’ interest in investing in such places.

It is also observed that real estate with asphalt speed bumps has low market prices. That’s why real estate owners prefer to purchase property in areas with rubber speed bumpers on the streets and roads.

Conclusion

Speed bumps of various types, including asphalt speed humps or speed cushions, are undoubtedly more than worthy at some points since they decrease the traffic flow with the stop signs.

The increased compliance with the speed limits of speedy vehicles is one of the pros of asphalt speed bumps. But as a community consultant, you’ll see many inconveniences of asphalt speed bumps.

The slower response time of the service and emergency vehicles decreased the worth of the property or land equipped with asphalt speed bumps, increased air pollution, and increased noise pollution.

These are some negative points for asphalt speed bumps. You can decrease all these inconveniences by reducing asphalt speed bumps or replacing them with rubber speed bumps.