We love our cars: they cost a lot of money to buy and maintain so the thought of anyone damaging them can turn us into something resembling a wild animal aggressively protecting its young.
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So it was more than a bit annoying to hear that one in five UK motorists have had their vehicle damaged by speed bumps.
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Research from Confused.com made the claim, adding that the problem is so prevalent that councils have paid out £35,000 in compensation in the past two years.
The UK is home to around 29,000 speed bumps right now, and the damage they have caused has resulted in average repair costs of £141.
Almost half of the damage (48 per cent) was tyre-related, while a third affected suspension. Two in five motorists surveyed reckon speed bumps cause “too much” damage to cars.
Many feel speed bumps don’t even do a decent job with 17 per cent of respondents admitting they were confused why councils usually opted for road bumps over other traffic calming measures, while 27 per cent believe that speed bumps are altogether ‘ineffective’ at reducing speed.
On top of that, 28 per cent want road markings and signage for speed bumps to be made clearer and easier to spot, cutting the risk of driving over them too quickly and damaging their car.
A fifth of the sample reckons the constant acceleration and deceleration associated with road bumps has repercussions for air quality too.
Amanda Stretton, motoring editor at Confused.com, commented: “With 22 per cent of drivers having experienced damage to their car as a result of speed humps, perhaps markings on speed humps could be made clearer to avoid any bumpy surprises.
“We urge drivers to approach them carefully and slowly, in order to minimise any damage. Motorists who think they have damaged their car while driving at a reasonable speed should check the height – if and when it is safe to do so – to see if they would be eligible for compensation.”
So have speed bumps damaged your pride and joy? Next time make sure you have warranty cover in place to avoid any costly repairs. Our sponsor MotorEasy can provide specialist warranty cover for your vehicle and you can save £50 when you use our discount code ‘MV50’! Click here to get a quote.
Do you think speed bumps should be done away with? Let us know down in the comments…
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You would think in this modern day and age they would think of a better way to slow people down than lumps of concrete in the road. I’ve damaged exhausts and spluttered thanks to speed bumps.