Speed bump petition receives no signatures
Not even the petitioner signed it
Last updated 2nd Jan 2024
A petition to get Southampton City Council to install speed bumps down a newly tarmacked road has received not a single signature – not even from the petitioner.
The practically dead straight Solent Avenue in Harefield could become an attractive spot for speeding, it has been suggested – after new surfacing has improved the road’s quality.
The petitioner took to the city council’s e-petition portal to make their request.
They wrote: “We would like to have speed bumps placed on Solent Avenue due to new road surfacing to avoid speeding, dangerous driving and to ensure that our children, pets and families are safe.”
The petition ran for six weeks between August and September (2023), but failed to garner even one signature.
For a petition to make it to council, 1,500 signatures are required.
Despite the speeding concern for the straight, third-mile road, according to a study on driver’s fatigue carried out back in 2015 by two scientists working with America’s National Library of Medicine, it was found that winding roads are just as likely to be attractive to speeding motorists
The study found: “In the straight road components, we found decrements in the quality of lane maintenance and steering quality and longitudinal speed.
“In the winding road (simulation), we found that drivers increased their driving speed over time.”
The petition was 1,500 signatures off making it to council for debate, however, a council spokesperson explained the process for installing speed bumps.
They said: “The decision to install any speed reduction features (including speed humps) is taken by analysis of the conditions and factors in each location.
“The types of elements taken into consideration are the current speed of traffic, the quantity of traffic using the road, the road safety record in the area and the composition of the street.
“If it can be shown after this analysis that an area/street may benefit from speed reduction features a consultation will take place to ensure the views of all stakeholders, including residents, bus service providers and emergency services, are taken into account.
“As with all works on the highway, before any work can take place a suitable budget will need to be identified to allow a scheme to progress.”