Potholes = Natural Traffic Calming Devices?

[Hon'ya-chan]

http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsAr...ASpx?AR=239565

[crazylegs]

I must say that the road surface in <My Town> is awful, there is one road will 'pillow' humps, but it's the state of the road which stops me from even approaching the speed limit, not the humps.

[Aethian]

So was the parish going to pay for all of those realingments?

[lordlundar]

I swear that's what our city council would be thinking in my city.

My Dad and I coming home one afternoon just as the snow completely melted on the roads for the second time, he was swerving left and right to avoid the potholes. After we got through a particularly heavy spot, his response? "I'm not drunk, I swear!" Mind you, this is just after we got our van's engine cradle effectively rebuilt as it was to the point of dropping the engine in the road, so I can't blame him for wanting to avoid them.

Of course, he then goes on to say and I quote:

I honestly think we're done with snow until this fall.

Whoops! Next morning we get another 15-20cm dump.

[crazylegs]

So was the parish going to pay for all of those realingments?

No, Parish councils don't have responsibility for maintaining roads, that will fall to either the town, county or unitary council depending on the local circumstances (in my area it is the county that repairs roads).

[Aethian]

No, Parish councils don't have responsibility for maintaining roads, that will fall to either the town, county or unitary council depending on the local circumstances (in my area it is the county that repairs roads).

I realize that, but it was them that didn't want the road fixed, so it should be them to fix the problems that potholes make.

[aniwahya]

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My city has one of the highest tax rates in the US and has declared a pothole emergency. I didn't even know you could declare a pothole emergency, but there it is.

Some of these potholes are quite large enough to lose a child in (I wish I was exaggerating). Hell, even driving a freaking pickup truck I am afraid of losing a tire in these holes. The holes are so bad that some of the main roads are nigh impassable unless you have memorized when to swerve (I swear it is like playing a driving video game, and not a fun one at that).

So, yes it does slow traffic down. On the other hand though it is because I am weaving all over the damn road trying to not lose a tire. ARGH.

[Dreamstalker]

I must say that the road surface in <My Town> is awful, there is one road will 'pillow' humps, but it's the state of the road which stops me from even approaching the speed limit, not the humps.

A street in my town has two "traffic calming" devices; both those stupid bumped-out sidewalks (I've seen more than a few wipeouts on those) as well as the pillow humps. All the humps have gouges in the pavement on either side from cars bottoming out. Does it do anything to stop people driving like maniacs? No way.

Potholes as calming devices I can see. The one year in Santa Fe when the main drag actually developed potholes, I noticed fewer near-accidents (which I'd like to attribute to people actually slowing down).

[Aethian]

I had to look for them... Detroit's Potholes there was one last year that opened right to the hot air pipes below.

[crazylegs]

I realize that, but it was them that didn't want the road fixed, so it should be them to fix the problems that potholes make.

Ah, parish councils blow a lot of hot air but other councils don't really listen to them. If you've ever watched A Vicar of Dibley it's rather like that...

[mattm04]

A city near me had a really bad section of "road." More like off road driving for a few hundred feet. The finally fixed it after a cop responding to a emergency call hit a pot hole and destroyed the rim and tire.