Daredevil 'boy racers' using speed bumps as jumps 'as they like the challenge'

21 January 2024 , 13:53

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Keith Warburton says the speed bumps need to be a bit bigger to deter speeding motorists (Image: No credit)

Daredevil boy racers are using speed bumps like ramps to launch themselves into the air, long suffering residents have complained.

Michael Thorogood, a pensioner who's lived in Colclough Lane in Packmoor, Stoke-on-Trent since 2006, has been dealing with speeding drivers on his street for a long time. Council efforts to calm the tarmac menaces saw speed bumps installed several years ago, but this has not solved the problem. In fact, some argue it has made it worse, Stoke Sentinel reported.

"To the young lads it is a challenge. Some of the old people take their time. But others are just jumping over them. Sometimes it is really dangerous. They seem to be racing," Michael said.

Kenneth Plant, 67, and Julie Castrey, 62, live on the same street and have reported the same problem. Julie said: "They come down too fast. The speed humps are not good enough. They want to make it so you have to slow down. They just fly over them. They have not made much difference. You get boy racers speeding and van drivers who are not bothered. We need traffic calming measures."

A speed bump in action (john james)

Their neighbour Keith Warburton, 69, agreed, a:dding "They have got used to the bumps. They seemed a bit severe at first. They came in about five years ago. It did initially improve things." He added that people have figured out how fast they can go over them and once they're past the last bump, they speed up again.

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"The bumps are not as effective as I would have hoped. I would like the bumps to be a bit bigger," he said. Stoke-on-Trent City Council has now marked this dangerous road as a priority for more safety measures. Work is set to start in the 2024/25 financial year.

A spokesperson for Stoke-on-Trent City Council said: "This scheme has been assessed and identified as a priority site for the introduction of traffic calming measures in order to reduce the incidence of speeding traffic and to improve road safety between Colclough Lane and Station Road."

According to the Highways Regulations (Road Humps) 1999 Act, the highest point of a speed bump cannot be less than 25mm, or more than 100mm high, and all speed bumps must be at least 900mm in length. The maximum height for a speed bump is 100mm. Speed bumps can only be fitted on roads that have a speed limit of a maximum of 30 mph. Speed bumps should be spaced out between 20 metres and 150 metres apart, with the average being around 70 metres

* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can report any errors to [email protected]

Jonathan Bamber