Whilst on holiday last week, we were entering a 'middle of nowhere village' 
and whilst slowing down (doing about 40mph and slowing) I hit a speed hump.
The hump was not signposted, in either direction, painted (or if it had been 
it had totally rubbed away) and there was no notification of it whatsoever. 
I didn't notice it either to the last minute due to the brightness of the 
sun and the road being in shade
The hump itself was not one of the 'square shallow ones' nor was it so 
severe to wreck the car instantly. I managed to keep control, albeit, 
skidding slightly, to an over-reactive right foot.
The car since just does'nt 'feel right'. What sort of damage would I likely 
be looking at as the car seems to pull slightly (tracking??) and suspension 
seems 'squishier'

FYI, I also contacted the local council there today who clams the hump is 
'about to be announced', and painted accordingly....Crock of shite!. 
Probably just realised they may have to pay!

Thanks in advance

"Matt"  wrote in message 
news:MT1Re.62592$Il.40163@fe2.news.blueyonder.co.uk...
<snip>

> FYI, I also contacted the local council there today who clams the hump is 
> 'about to be announced', and painted accordingly....Crock of shite!. 
> Probably just realised they may have to pay!


Get a couple of photos of it before they paint it !

"Matt"  wrote in message 
news:MT1Re.62592$Il.40163@fe2.news.blueyonder.co.uk...

> Whilst on holiday last week, we were entering a 'middle of nowhere 
> village' and whilst slowing down (doing about 40mph and slowing) I hit a 
> speed hump.


Whereabouts? (Just so we all know to look out for it).

cheers,
clive

"Matt"  wrote in message
news:MT1Re.62592$Il.40163@fe2.news.blueyonder.co.uk...

> Whilst on holiday last week, we were entering a 'middle of nowhere
village'
> and whilst slowing down (doing about 40mph and slowing) I hit a speed
hump.
> The hump was not signposted, in either direction, painted (or if it had
been
> it had totally rubbed away) and there was no notification of it
whatsoever.
> I didn't notice it either to the last minute due to the brightness of the
> sun and the road being in shade
> The hump itself was not one of the 'square shallow ones' nor was it so
> severe to wreck the car instantly. I managed to keep control, albeit,
> skidding slightly, to an over-reactive right foot.
> The car since just does'nt 'feel right'. What sort of damage would I
likely
> be looking at as the car seems to pull slightly (tracking??) and
suspension
> seems 'squishier'
>
> FYI, I also contacted the local council there today who clams the hump is
> 'about to be announced', and painted accordingly....Crock of shite!.
> Probably just realised they may have to pay!
>
> Thanks in advance
>

Don't phone them. By now, they will have put up their umbrella, and will
deny all knowledge of your phone call. Write to them, they have to log it
in.

Tell them that your car has been damaged by the hump which was not marked or
signed in any way, and that you hold them responsible. Get your car fixed
and send them a copy of the bill. Keep the original.

Steve

"Matt"  wrote in message 
news:MT1Re.62592$Il.40163@fe2.news.blueyonder.co.uk...

> Whilst on holiday last week, we were entering a 'middle of nowhere 
> village' and whilst slowing down (doing about 40mph and slowing) I hit a 
> speed hump.
> The hump was not signposted, in either direction, painted (or if it had 
> been it had totally rubbed away) and there was no notification of it 
> whatsoever. I didn't notice it either to the last minute due to the 
> brightness of the sun and the road being in shade


That's no excuse. It is there for your safety and enjoyment of the road. 
<faked council response>

"Clive George"  wrote in message 
news:4314af61$0$1275$ed2619ec@ptn-nntp-reader02.plus.net...

> "Matt"  wrote in message 
> news:MT1Re.62592$Il.40163@fe2.news.blueyonder.co.uk...
>> Whilst on holiday last week, we were entering a 'middle of nowhere 
>> village' and whilst slowing down (doing about 40mph and slowing) I hit a 
>> speed hump.
>
> Whereabouts? (Just so we all know to look out for it).



It was near Sea Pallings, Near Great Yarmouth, Norfolk.
I have a Sony Ericsson K750i mobile phone , which has a 2 megapixel camera, 
so I got plenty of decent pictures ;)
The main response from the coucil that I recieved was that ' a normal driver 
would have'.....
After informing them of their patronising, incompetant attitude and that I 
drove emergency response vehicles for a living they informed me to let them 
know in writing.

Regards

Matt wrote:

> 
> Whilst on holiday last week, we were entering a 'middle of nowhere village'
> and whilst slowing down (doing about 40mph and slowing) I hit a speed hump.
> The hump was not signposted, in either direction, painted (or if it had been
> it had totally rubbed away) and there was no notification of it whatsoever.
> I didn't notice it either to the last minute due to the brightness of the
> sun and the road being in shade
> The hump itself was not one of the 'square shallow ones' nor was it so
> severe to wreck the car instantly. I managed to keep control, albeit,
> skidding slightly, to an over-reactive right foot.
> The car since just does'nt 'feel right'. What sort of damage would I likely
> be looking at as the car seems to pull slightly (tracking??) and suspension
> seems 'squishier'
> 
> FYI, I also contacted the local council there today who clams the hump is
> 'about to be announced', and painted accordingly....Crock of shite!.
> Probably just realised they may have to pay!
> 
> Thanks in advance


UK speed bumps has to satisfy certain maximum height and slope criteria. You
can find those on the internet somewhere. If these criteria are not met, you
will have good grounds to sue the council. There was also a good article in
Auto Express a while back.

send them the estimated bill
plus photo's of the damage and the bump, use something universal as a 
reference to show the size of the hump and damaged areas of the car
been there, done that
wait till they get back to you
go through one of the smalls claims no win no fee people when they do agree 
to pay you out
there is a special fund set aside for this sort of thing but you have to 
contact the council who maintains that road surface

"Matt"  wrote in message 
news:MT1Re.62592$Il.40163@fe2.news.blueyonder.co.uk...

> Whilst on holiday last week, we were entering a 'middle of nowhere 
> village' and whilst slowing down (doing about 40mph and slowing) I hit a 
> speed hump.
> The hump was not signposted, in either direction, painted (or if it had 
> been it had totally rubbed away) and there was no notification of it 
> whatsoever. I didn't notice it either to the last minute due to the 
> brightness of the sun and the road being in shade
> The hump itself was not one of the 'square shallow ones' nor was it so 
> severe to wreck the car instantly. I managed to keep control, albeit, 
> skidding slightly, to an over-reactive right foot.
> The car since just does'nt 'feel right'. What sort of damage would I 
> likely be looking at as the car seems to pull slightly (tracking??) and 
> suspension seems 'squishier'
>
> FYI, I also contacted the local council there today who clams the hump is 
> 'about to be announced', and painted accordingly....Crock of shite!. 
> Probably just realised they may have to pay!
>
> Thanks in advance
>
> 

"Tony Bond (UncleFista)"  writes

>
>"Matt"  wrote in message
>news:MT1Re.62592$Il.40163@fe2.news.blueyonder.co.uk...
><snip>
>> FYI, I also contacted the local council there today who clams the hump is
>> 'about to be announced', and painted accordingly....Crock of shite!.
>> Probably just realised they may have to pay!
>
>Get a couple of photos of it before they paint it !
>

Yep!    I hit a deep pothole in a busy A road in Manchester some time 
back, and a couple of weeks later during an MOT test they found a broken 
coil spring!

It happened in the dark, and by the time I got chance to look at the 
hole (no stopping road), they had filled it with tarmac.   :-(
-- 
Gordon Harris

In article <MT1Re.62592$Il.40163@fe2.news.blueyonder.co.uk>,
   Matt  wrote:

> Whilst on holiday last week, we were entering a 'middle of nowhere
> village' and whilst slowing down (doing about 40mph and slowing) I hit
> a speed hump. The hump was not signposted, in either direction, painted
> (or if it had been it had totally rubbed away) and there was no
> notification of it whatsoever. I didn't notice it either to the last
> minute due to the brightness of the sun and the road being in shade


Presumably you were well over the posted speed limit?

-- 
*Why is it considered necessary to screw down the lid of a coffin?

    Dave Plowman        dave@davenoise.co.uk           London SW
                  To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"Dave Plowman (News)"  wrote in message 
news:4da4017e82dave@davenoise.co.uk...

> In article <MT1Re.62592$Il.40163@fe2.news.blueyonder.co.uk>,
>   Matt  wrote:
>> Whilst on holiday last week, we were entering a 'middle of nowhere
>> village' and whilst slowing down (doing about 40mph and slowing) I hit
>> a speed hump. The hump was not signposted, in either direction, painted
>> (or if it had been it had totally rubbed away) and there was no
>> notification of it whatsoever. I didn't notice it either to the last
>> minute due to the brightness of the sun and the road being in shade
>
> Presumably you were well over the posted speed limit?
>

that doesn't matter :)
if it wasn't sign posted or marked in an obvious way they can be held liable
trust me, i've done it a;; before with a result every time (albeit around 4 
months from making the calim to getting it paid for)


> -- 
> *Why is it considered necessary to screw down the lid of a coffin?
>
>    Dave Plowman        dave@davenoise.co.uk           London SW
>                  To e-mail, change noise into sound. 

In article <dfacjh$d4p$1@newsg4.svr.pol.co.uk>,
     dojj  wrote:

> > Presumably you were well over the posted speed limit?
> >
> that doesn't matter :) if it wasn't sign posted or marked in an obvious
> way they can be held liable trust me, i've done it a;; before with a
> result every time (albeit around 4 months from making the calim to
> getting it paid for)


Suppose it wouldn't matter if you'd run down some pedestrian expecting you
to be doing roughly 30 in a 30 limit?

Most - while pressing on on country roads - pass a 30 sign in a village
and then slow down, if indeed they bother to. So a speed hump just inside
the signs makes a great deal of sense. They can't be argued with or
ignored. And very few cars will be damaged by going over one at a true 30.

-- 
*Succeed, in spite of management *

    Dave Plowman        dave@davenoise.co.uk           London SW
                  To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"Dave Plowman (News)"  wrote in message
news:4da4017e82dave@davenoise.co.uk...

> In article <MT1Re.62592$Il.40163@fe2.news.blueyonder.co.uk>,
>   Matt  wrote:

>> , we were *****entering***** a 'middle of nowhere
>> village' and whilst slowing down

> Presumably you were well over the posted speed limit?

"Dave Plowman (News)"  wrote in message 
news:4da4500d1cdave@davenoise.co.uk...

> In article <dfacjh$d4p$1@newsg4.svr.pol.co.uk>,
>     dojj  wrote:
>> > Presumably you were well over the posted speed limit?
>> >
>> that doesn't matter :) if it wasn't sign posted or marked in an obvious
>> way they can be held liable trust me, i've done it a;; before with a
>> result every time (albeit around 4 months from making the calim to
>> getting it paid for)
>
> Suppose it wouldn't matter if you'd run down some pedestrian expecting you
> to be doing roughly 30 in a 30 limit?
>

if you were going to run down a padestran who was expecting it, then that 
padestrian would be in the road and commiting suicide


> Most - while pressing on on country roads - pass a 30 sign in a village
> and then slow down, if indeed they bother to. So a speed hump just inside
> the signs makes a great deal of sense. They can't be argued with or
> ignored. And very few cars will be damaged by going over one at a true 30.
>

i slow down for villaiges all the time, but you get the people who do 40 mph 
all the way down the nsl roads AND through the villaiges so when yo overtake 
them and then slow down when yu are supposed to, they sit on your arse 
flashing and beeping you to go faster, and then overtake you at zebra 
crossings and the like
why aren't there camera's and coppers doing these people for driving like 
femal genitalia?

i've gone over a speed hump at 30, and it's made the car jump enough to trip 
out the fuel cutoff, so something was a little wrong tehre wasn't it?
and anyway, they are there to slow you down, not to make you do exactly 30 
mph, otherwise what would e the point?


> -- 
> *Succeed, in spite of management *
>
>    Dave Plowman        dave@davenoise.co.uk           London SW
>                  To e-mail, change noise into sound. 

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote:

> 
> In article <dfacjh$d4p$1@newsg4.svr.pol.co.uk>,
>      dojj  wrote:
> > > Presumably you were well over the posted speed limit?
> > >
> > that doesn't matter :) if it wasn't sign posted or marked in an obvious
> > way they can be held liable trust me, i've done it a;; before with a
> > result every time (albeit around 4 months from making the calim to
> > getting it paid for)
> 
> Suppose it wouldn't matter if you'd run down some pedestrian expecting you
> to be doing roughly 30 in a 30 limit?
> 
> Most - while pressing on on country roads - pass a 30 sign in a village
> and then slow down, if indeed they bother to. So a speed hump just inside
> the signs makes a great deal of sense. They can't be argued with or
> ignored. And very few cars will be damaged by going over one at a true 30.


The Catalytic converter is vulnerable to speed humps. Wheel bearings is another
concern. Damage may not be immediate, but the effect accumulates.

In article ,
   Johannes  wrote:

> The Catalytic converter is vulnerable to speed humps. Wheel bearings is
> another concern. Damage may not be immediate, but the effect accumulates.


Nothing on a car like that is vulnerable to speed bumps. Anymore than any
other hole etc in the road. It depends entirely at what speed you 'hit'
the speed bump. Ie, the whole reason they are there.

-- 
*When the chips are down, the buffalo is empty.

    Dave Plowman        dave@davenoise.co.uk           London SW
                  To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"Dave Plowman (News)"  wrote in message 
news:4da5533cf3dave@davenoise.co.uk...

> In article ,
>   Johannes  wrote:
>> The Catalytic converter is vulnerable to speed humps. Wheel bearings is
>> another concern. Damage may not be immediate, but the effect accumulates.
>
> Nothing on a car like that is vulnerable to speed bumps. Anymore than any
> other hole etc in the road. It depends entirely at what speed you 'hit'
> the speed bump. Ie, the whole reason they are there.
>


Where the local authority is shown to be negligent in not maintaining roads, 
and leaving potholes, they can and are regularly sued for the damage they 
cause.

In article , dave@davenoise.co.uk 
says...

> In article ,
>    Johannes  wrote:
> > The Catalytic converter is vulnerable to speed humps. Wheel bearings is
> > another concern. Damage may not be immediate, but the effect accumulates.
> 
> Nothing on a car like that is vulnerable to speed bumps. Anymore than any
> other hole etc in the road. It depends entirely at what speed you 'hit'
> the speed bump. Ie, the whole reason they are there.


Hmmmm. The silencers on mine are vulnerable to the 'pillow' speed bumps 
at anything over ten miles per hour, and full-width raised tables don't 
half jar your spine when you're sat almost level with the rear 
suspension. 

-- 
James Dore,
IT Officer,
New College
james.dore@new / it-support@new

"Dave Plowman (News)"  writes

>
>Nothing on a car like that is vulnerable to speed bumps. Anymore than any
>other hole etc in the road. It depends entirely at what speed you 'hit'
>the speed bump. Ie, the whole reason they are there.
>

Agreeing with the speed proviso, what about shock-absorbers, or to give 
them their correct functional name "dampers"?   They take a hell of a 
pasting even at low speeds.

The (20mph) humps on our road were atrocious when first installed, the 
profile being too severe at any speed, but they have been shaved and 
smoothed at the leading edges, except for the one close to a T junction.

The ideal ones which I first encountered at Black Rocks, a country park 
area near Matlock, were designed for 5mph, and had sine-wave leading and 
lagging edges.     At the design speed they were very gentle, but at 
about 15 mph they would throw your head against the roof!
-- 
Gordon Harris

Gordon wrote:

> "Dave Plowman (News)"  writes
>>
>> Nothing on a car like that is vulnerable to speed bumps. Anymore
>> than any other hole etc in the road. It depends entirely at what
>> speed you 'hit' the speed bump. Ie, the whole reason they are there.
>>
> Agreeing with the speed proviso, what about shock-absorbers, or to
> give them their correct functional name "dampers"?   They take a hell
> of a pasting even at low speeds.
>
> The (20mph) humps on our road were atrocious when first installed, the
> profile being too severe at any speed, but they have been shaved and
> smoothed at the leading edges, except for the one close to a T
> junction.
> The ideal ones which I first encountered at Black Rocks, a country
> park area near Matlock, were designed for 5mph, and had sine-wave
> leading and lagging edges.     At the design speed they were very
> gentle, but at about 15 mph they would throw your head against the
> roof!


When I did a real-world mathematics course with the OU we had to design a 
speedbump profile that had a sharp difference in effect between < design 
speed and > design speed.

One like you describe came out well, but is more expensive to lay than a 
blob of tarmac...

The best one I came up with was actuially an inverted speed bump - a speed 
ditch. Take it at the right speed, down and up again.

Too fast, you jump the gap, smash the front wheels into the opposite wall 
and rip the axle off ;-)

The message <QZ0Te.406$k22.322@fe2.news.blueyonder.co.uk>
from "PC Paul"  contains these words:


> The best one I came up with was actuially an inverted speed bump - a speed 
> ditch. Take it at the right speed, down and up again.

> Too fast, you jump the gap, smash the front wheels into the opposite wall 
> and rip the axle off ;-)


Now that's neat!

-- 
Skipweasel.
In the beginning was the word.
And the word was Aardvark.

On Mon, 05 Sep 2005 21:28:48 +0100, Guy King  wrote:


> The message <QZ0Te.406$k22.322@fe2.news.blueyonder.co.uk>
> from "PC Paul"  contains these words:
>
>> The best one I came up with was actuially an inverted speed bump - a  
>> speed
>> ditch. Take it at the right speed, down and up again.
>
>> Too fast, you jump the gap, smash the front wheels into the opposite  
>> wall
>> and rip the axle off ;-)
>
> Now that's neat!
>


Huh, you're just going fast enough :-)

Duncanwood wrote:

> On Mon, 05 Sep 2005 21:28:48 +0100, Guy King 
> wrote:
>> The message <QZ0Te.406$k22.322@fe2.news.blueyonder.co.uk>
>> from "PC Paul"  contains these words:
>>
>>> The best one I came up with was actuially an inverted speed bump - a
>>> speed
>>> ditch. Take it at the right speed, down and up again.
>>
>>> Too fast, you jump the gap, smash the front wheels into the opposite
>>> wall
>>> and rip the axle off ;-)
>>
>> Now that's neat!
>>
>
> Huh, you're just going fast enough :-)


Just *not* going fast enough??

It does make a difference, you know!! Or is that doesn't?

On Mon, 05 Sep 2005 22:30:03 +0100, PC Paul  wrote:


> Duncanwood wrote:
>> On Mon, 05 Sep 2005 21:28:48 +0100, Guy King 
>> wrote:
>>> The message <QZ0Te.406$k22.322@fe2.news.blueyonder.co.uk>
>>> from "PC Paul"  contains these words:
>>>
>>>> The best one I came up with was actuially an inverted speed bump - a
>>>> speed
>>>> ditch. Take it at the right speed, down and up again.
>>>
>>>> Too fast, you jump the gap, smash the front wheels into the opposite
>>>> wall
>>>> and rip the axle off ;-)
>>>
>>> Now that's neat!
>>>
>>
>> Huh, you're just going fast enough :-)
>
> Just *not* going fast enough??
>
> It does make a difference, you know!! Or is that doesn't?
>
>




If you go fast enough on a dipped retarder then your wheels don't drop  
much :-)

Guy King  writes

>The message <QZ0Te.406$k22.322@fe2.news.blueyonder.co.uk>
>from "PC Paul"  contains these words:
>
>> The best one I came up with was actuially an inverted speed bump - a speed
>> ditch. Take it at the right speed, down and up again.
>
>> Too fast, you jump the gap, smash the front wheels into the opposite wall
>> and rip the axle off ;-)
>
>Now that's neat!
>

You own a repair shop?
;-)
-- 
Gordon Harris

PC Paul  writes

>
>Just *not* going fast enough??
>
>It does make a difference, you know!! Or is that doesn't?
>

Perhaps it would have made a difference when I drove over a large 
missing slice of road edge in Ibiza in a hired Fiesta!        I was only 
doing about 30, and had 3 passengers in and didn't want to make a 
violent swerve, so I held the wheel very tight and shouted "Brace 
yerselves"!

We went over what turned out to be a 2ft deep hole with two sickening 
thumps, which burst two tyres, buckled two rims, damaged the sump or 
filter and let the oil out, and cracked the windscreen.   The car veered 
onto the dirt verge before I wrestled it back, but was then locked up.

The Rental guy who came out to us looked the car over, and looked at me 
with pure delight on his face.     "Fantastico"!  he said......
-- 
Gordon Harris

"Gordon"  wrote in message 
news:TkHgDXQ3nbHDFwem@g3snx.demon.co.uk...


> Perhaps it would have made a difference when I drove over a large missing 
> slice of road edge in Ibiza in a hired Fiesta!


Pah!!!

Any excuse to have a drink whilst on holiday!