Speed Breakers Installed At Whim By Locals Violate The Law

Installed at whim randomly by locals in violation of the law, with the authorities looking the other way, speed breakers harm more than help, writes Gajanan Khergamker

Sadly, in India, speed breakers are installed at the sweet whim of vociferous residents enjoying the patronage of local political leaders while giving the law a miss.

One of the 39-odd Speed Breakers peppered along the 300-metre zone at the Gateway of India in Colaba, Mumbai

The most customary method for regulating traffic remains the use of traffic calming devices, commonly referred to as vehicle speed reducers.

These calming mechanisms aka speed breakers are employed to prevent accidents and often turn into the cause of accidents, injuries and loss of life, if employed incorrectly. 

Across the world, two varieties of speed bumps—vertical and horizontal—are utilised to maintain speeds within acceptable limits in accordance with the law. However, some poorly designed and irregular speed bumps lead to various accidents. Despite this, the focus has shifted towards intelligent speed bumps that are not only safer but also more ecologically sound compared to traditional ones. 

In the fast-paced world, prominent vehicle manufacturers are always striving to create increasingly high-powered vehicles. As technology advances, these companies are designing faster vehicles, often neglecting the environmental impact. This can lead to hazardous speeding and a heightened risk of accidents. The challenge lies in curbing such "over-speeding," the principal cause of fatal accidents.

Presently, both developing and developed nations face considerable difficulties in controlling over-speeding, which is a significant contributor to fatal accidents. Extensive research indicates that over-speeding, combined with a lack of road safety awareness, drunk driving, reckless behaviour, overtaking, traffic rule violations, and distractions such as phone usage and adjusting radios, are the primary causes of accidents.

Driving while fatigued may appear innocuous, yet it has been proven to be a major contributor to fatal accidents. 

According to the World Health Organisation’s Global Status Report on Road Safety, accidents result in 1.35 million deaths globally. In 2021, states and union territories reported a total of 4,12,432 road accidents, resulting in 1,53,972 deaths and injuries to 3,84,448 individuals. India ranks first in the number of road accidents among 200 countries and accounts for nearly 11 per cent of accident-related deaths globally. 

In accordance with the guidelines established by the Indian Road Congress, dated 12th June 1987, speed bumps in India should be situated on minor roads as per the following directives:

The application of speed bumps is deemed appropriate only under these three specific circumstances:

• 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.

Further situations where speed bumps may be employed include:

• 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.

Areas marked by continuous development, where the road passes through built-up regions and high-speed vehicles pose a substantial threat to pedestrians.

The Indian Roads Congress recommends that speed bumps be constructed with a basic design of a rounded hump (with a radius of 17 metres), measuring 3.7 metres in width and 0.10 metres in height. 

This design aims to achieve an advised crossing speed of 25 km/h for general traffic. 

Additionally, it is suggested that multiple humps be installed at regular intervals based on the desired speed and the acceleration/deceleration characteristics of vehicles. 

The spacing between consecutive humps can vary from 100 metres to 120 metres, measured from the centre of one hump to the centre of another.

In All, 39 Speed Breakers On A 300-Metre Stretch In Colaba!

Violations of the law are galore. A case in point being: On the 300-metre stretch of South Mumbai’s Colaba precinct near Gateway of India, from The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel to Radio Club are a whopping 39 Speed Breakers of all shapes and sizes and installed completely illegally at the whim of fancy-free local residents in the by-lanes and all along Mere Weather Road that runs parallel between the touristy Apollo Bundar Road, along the Gateway of India stretch, and the main Shahid Bhagat Singh Road, connecting Regal to Colaba Market. 

Another twin Speed Breaker within a stone's throw away from another at Colaba's Mere Weather Road

The IRC guidelines, for all practical purposes, are dodged conveniently. While the world’s tourists converge at the zone, the law is flouted with wild abandon. 

That is until a VIP visits the zone, which is often considering the zone’s proximity to INS Shikra, when all the illegal speed breakers are broken and removed overnight: Needless to say, the speed breakers swiftly reappear once the VIP leaves.

Locals 'bully' leaders, authorities into submission

Next to the deterrence offered by good old police presence and legal intervention, the most cost-effective and convenient means of controlling vehicle speeds remains speed bumps or speed humps, classified as traffic calming devices. 

These installations are intended for the safety of road users. However, improper implementation and design of speed bumps without adhering to proper parameters, as is the rule, proves destructive to vehicles, contributes to increased traffic noise and augments risk to human life and limb. 

Inadequately designed speed bumps, whether tall or overly steep, can be disruptive for drivers, particularly those with vehicles possessing low ground clearance. Even at very low speeds, many sports cars face difficulties with such speed bumps.

While traditional speed bumps are effective in reducing speeding and preventing accidents, they can also contribute to accidents, injuries, vehicle damage, and noise pollution. Innovative solutions, such as smart speed bumps and power generator speed bumps, are being explored to enhance road safety and overcome the limitations of conventional speed bumps.

Now, while the law where speed breakers are concerned is well in place, as long as petty locals continue to ‘construct’ speed breakers at whim, even garner support from local politicians and civic authorities, it rests upon the judiciary to address, with its overarching wisdom, the issue of illegal speed breakers especially in burgeoning cities like Mumbai, pin the onus of the illegality on the relevant civic entity and pass an order enforcing the law, in Public Interest, to uphold the Right to Life of citizens in the state.

Till then, more than the risk of speed, human lives remain at risk.

 

This news report was generated as part of the report Breaking Speed, Even The Law under The Public Space Project.

The project is a DraftCraft International initiative that examines and advocates for inclusive laws and policies for access, movement and transport in public spaces.

For details, visit www.draftcraft.org