Furious villagers have criticized the council for installing the ‘slickest speed bumps in England’ in their scenic neighborhood – creating a haven for young racers.
The locals of Thornton, Middlesbrough were plagued by dangerous drivers and potholes for years before the council reopened the road.
However, villagers now claim that the ‘small’ bumps put in place are a waste of money and do nothing to prevent motorists from racing past their homes.
They claim the problem has actually worsened since the potholes have been filled in, with some vehicles continuing to drive at 70 mph despite the 20 mph speed limit.
Dan Dare, 57, believes someone will die as a result of the dangerous road.
Villagers claim the ‘small’ bumps put in place are a waste of money and do nothing to stop motorists from racing through their scenic neighborhood
Local residents have claimed that the speed bumps have made no difference as cars can easily drive over them
Furious residents of Thornton, Middlesbrough, have criticized the council for installing the ‘slickest speed bumps in England’ in their village – creating a haven for racing boys (local Tony Armitage, 74, pictured)
The entrepreneur said: ‘The municipality does nothing. They have not kept up with cars and vehicles that are wider.
“I was told to protect residents from the noise these bumps create. They don’t create anything, they don’t even create a bump.
‘I’m walking my dog on this road and I’ve seen cars coming here at 70 mph, easily 70 mph.
“The road is great, although the potholes did help calm the traffic.
Mr Dare added, ‘It’s been the talk of the village. There is so much red tape and it’s not necessary because that red tape is going to cost someone’s life.
“My main concern is safety. Someone’s going to get killed, I know that.’
At 8:48 a.m. on Good Friday, a reporter witnessed a white pick-up being bombed over a speed bump without slowing down.
Less than five minutes later, a Ford Fiesta drove smoothly over a bump, in dangerous proximity to a jogger.
Local residents claim the problem has worsened since the pits were filled in
The road has a 20 mph speed limit, but villagers say many motorists drive around 40 mph
Both vehicles appeared to be speeding, with the white truck traveling at about 40 mph, despite a speed limit of only 20 mph.
Consultant and local Vince Robinson, 74, said: ‘What a terrible waste of money. Now the municipality will have to spend more money to come and do them again.
“The 20 mph speed limit is a joke, there is no enforcement. I’ve seen people going 40-50 mph here.
‘It’s dangerous, not only for pedestrians, but also for the horses and riders who pass here, because there are stables nearby.
He added: “Not much thought has gone into it. Many vehicles can pass over it without any problems.
‘All you hear from the council is ‘we can’t do this’ and ‘we can’t do that’. They worry about making more noise for residents if they raise the height.
“They give in to the snowflake population.”
Tony Armitage, 74, a retired engineering manager said: ‘I thought the bumps weren’t high enough. Cars fly by here. I can go over the speed bumps with no problem.
The height of the speed bumps is barely recognizable, meaning the road has become popular among ‘racers’, locals claim
Despite there being speed bumps, some vehicles travel at 70 mph
“Even when you go over the bumps, it’s very gentle. It won’t stop the speeder. I think it may have to do with today’s vehicles.
They can cross and have no effect. Some of the larger wagons that pass here try not to slow down.
“Some people go through it at 100 km/h, they don’t care.
“It’s worrying because kids who are kids will run up the road and there are a lot of old people in the village using the footbridges.
“The road is quite narrow and I often feel that when I’m walking here and a car comes down, I’m moving out of the way because of the wing mirrors.
“Some don’t pay attention to what they’re doing.”
Bryan Weightman, 52, a business owner, said, “It hasn’t made any difference.
“Certain cars can straddle it and run over it easily. They make no attempt to slow down, stop or obey the speed limit.
“All this has done is made it more like a racing surface, because the potholes used to hold them back, but now it’s so smooth that vehicles can slide through it at any speed they want.
“They’re flying through this. It’s mental.”
Another resident added, “I’ve seen people racing down this road at 70mph. It’s dangerous. I worry about crossing and walking around because of the fast cars.
“The speed bumps don’t do anything. It’s a quaint village, but now it’s filled with race boys who use it as a shortcut.
“We have asked for speed bumps and for something to be done, but it makes no difference.
“People’s wheels go either way and they don’t even need to brake.”
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