Sherman tank

[SOAR]

Hi I live on a busy main rd thats also a quite steep hill, the last three sundays there have been three crashes involving cars coming round the corner probably going too fast and have crashed into walls in front of the house one has recently just happened, actually today and hit nextdoors car and wall, the car is damaged and the wall is now a pile of bricks, its had it. a car again probably going too fast hit the wall over the rd the other week and wrecked that too. my wall and the house the other side was hit a couple of weeks ago at 13:24 I had left my house at 13:20 to go out, now if I had been running late I dont think that I would have been able to get out of the way and it would have hit me, my neighbours van recieved an almighty wollop and since has been writen off. I know things happen in threes, or so they say, but I was wondering what car to get so if it happens again it stands a better chance than my little car. I was thinking of a Sherman tank or something would stand up well, but I need something more practicable. Also if anyone on here has any ideas of who we could get in touch with to get something done as to slow people down or things to say to the council it would be a great help.

Simon.

 

[mace242]

Ask at your local police station if you can run a community speed watch at the location. They train you and give you a speed gun and let you in a team record speeds and registrations. Though they don't get points or a fine they will get a nasty letter. If the situation keeps on then the case for a camera builds and on may get put there. It's not a lot but until you're allowed to mount rocket launchers on your roof it's about all you can do...

You may have guessed - we have the same problem here. ho hum...

Also you could put up a new nesting box for your local feathered friends. I suggest one perhaps a foot cubed - painted in bright yellow.....

 

[JonnyP]

Just get a cardboard box and paint it yellow and stick it on a pole beside the road....That should sort em out......Either that, or there will be more crashes as people watch their speedo's instead of the road.....

 

[British Red]

SOAR,

A recent study said carsh survivability depends on the nature of the crash!

A big heavy 4x4 (like my Landcrusier) that has a head on with a eurobox mini will come off better. This is because the heavy vehicle carries more momentum. However if my 4x4 hit a tree, it would come off worse than a mini (due the greater momentum it carries). Sadly in your case, if hit by an artic' its probably moot.

Given its a busy main road, traffic calming is probably out of the question. One village in my area got together and put in electric signs that read the cars speed and flash "Slow Down...30!" if they are going too fast. It does seem to work.

If the limit on your road is high enough to allow the accidents that are happening (e.g. 60), I would lobby the council to drop the speed limit based on the accidents that have occured

Hope thats some ideas that may be useful

Red

 

[SOAR]

I like the idea of making my own speed camera, but I really like the idea of the speed gun training from the police I might tell the neighbours about that one we could all get together and get in touch with the police. The speed limit on this road is 40 I think, I say I yhink because as far as I'm aware there is not one speed limit sighon our rd, I will check for sure in the morning on my way to work. Also the rd surface is really slippery its not been resurfaced in years due to the cost of shutting the rd and because its on a steep hill, daft I know. I will ring my local councillor tommorow and pester her to see what she can do. Failing that I like the rocket launcher idea.

Thanks.

Simon.

 

[Eric_Methven]

A skip placed on the grass verge in front of your wall is way cheaper than a sherman tank but will still take the brunt of a hit. If that's not practical, how about getting yourself a hi-viz vest or jacket and standing by the side of the road pointing a hair dryer at oncoming cars. It works.

Eric

 

[JonnyP]

A skip placed on the grass verge in front of your wall is way cheaper than a sherman tank but will still take the brunt of a hit. If that's not practical, how about getting yourself a hi-viz vest or jacket and standing by the side of the road pointing a hair dryer at oncoming cars. It works.

Eric

Lol....I can see you now Eric.....

 

[SOAR]

A skip Now I do like that. I have got a hi viz from work hmmmm!. No the wife wont lend me her hair dryer, As long as people put decent bit of wood, metal and leather in the skip, it might even work out better, I know what its like if you get a skip delivered other people tend to want to fill it for you with their stuff .

Simon.

 

[sandsnakes]

I cant say about the car stuff, but have you considered having reinforced concrete posts set into or behind the wall? Think of it as a exercise in bollard manufacture. A reinforced post dug down about two feet and set in concrete would stop a tank. If you cant slow down the traffic at least stop them getting through the wall and parking in your living room!

Sandsnakes

 

[Tengu]

That would be a better idea.

DONT fool around trying to look like a copper, my friend did a similar thing once and was charged with impersonating a policeman. (but he had such an attitude problem he probably deserved it)

Another friend did have a car end up in their living room, luckily they were upstairs at the time

 

[SOAR]

I am considering reinforcing the wall in some way, I thoyugh about a couple of rsj's behind it in some way, could attach these to the concrete posts. The wall is not really a concern its the car and people walking past that I really wory about. Last night I could hardly sleep every car that came past had me waiting for a loud bang. I bet it was 2 before I went to sleep.

 

[Goose]

Mace seems to have the right idea, try and speak to your CAT (Community Action Team) basically it is amongst the PCSOs role to look into problems like this and offer help or solutions, but they do need mithering sometimes.
As much as I hate speed camera vans it could be a solution, if it is drivers that are actually speeding, or better still the community speed campaign with warning letters rather than fines and points.
The best speeding solution I have heard of was a road with pedestrian crossings every couple of hundred metres, if a car is over the limit the next set would be on red, people soon found that it was quicker to go at the speed limit. But cynical me thinks that there would be no money earned from this solution!

 

[SOAR]

Thanks goose I need to speak to my neighbour when he gets back from his holiday on sat, he still doesn't know about his car and wall being damaged, i'm sure when he calms down he might want to get something done about the problem.

Simon.

 

[Jedadiah]

How's about stringing up free C.D's in a tree or bush just around the corner. The wind will spin and turn them and the light will reflect off them, but not so much as to blind people. This tend's to get drivers attention though not distract them. It gives the impression of movement and when people see something they don't understand they tend to slow down and become more aware of their surroundings and actions. Give it a go, see what you think.

Alternatively, put up a sign saying 'children playing' then put 'dummy' children in your front garden. If the drivers do lose control, they will try a lot harder to miss the kids!

 

[Tourist]

I like the idea of making my own speed camera, but I really like the idea of the speed gun training from the police I might tell the neighbours about that one we could all get together and get in touch with the police. The speed limit on this road is 40 I think, I say I yhink because as far as I'm aware there is not one speed limit sighon our rd, I will check for sure in the morning on my way to work. Also the rd surface is really slippery its not been resurfaced in years due to the cost of shutting the rd and because its on a steep hill, daft I know. I will ring my local councillor tommorow and pester her to see what she can do. Failing that I like the rocket launcher idea.

Thanks.

Simon.

Simon, check the requirements for the positioning and placing of an initial speed limit sign and then the repeater signs.

Repeater signs must be spaced between certain distances apart failure to conform to this means that:

a. Speeders are not speeding, because no speed limit legally applies,
b. That the local authority or hioghways agency has been deficient in its works and needs a kick up the hoohah.

If they have messed up their sign placement it gives you leverage to get training for and use of the radar gun.

I have seen boxes positioned and dressed to look like speed camera's, they are quite effective if they look the part. In one of the villages a guy who is an electronic engineer actually built a working one in his shed and used to wheel it out and then send the piccies to the Police.

Points to remember when you make your speed camera.

You cannot place it on public land: pavement; highway; verge. You must ensure that it is placed on privately owned property.

Make sure you put up a sign 'somewhere' stating the purpose of the 'camera', this will reduce your chances of being prosecuted for 'Conduct likely to cause a breach of the peace'.

 

[locum76]

A neighbour of mine had a string of crashes which trashed the wall at his garden.

It was very dangerous because his kids play in the garden and they are quite young.

Fortunately he is a farm worker with access to heavy machinery so he used a matbro (a fancy forklift) to shift three 1 tonne boulders to the grass verge in front of his wall. He then painted the road side of the boulders white so that speeding cars can see them and any that brake to late will crumple into the boulders.

his wall remains intact.

 

[Goose]

If there are no speed limit signs and the road has street lights(certain distance apart) the speed limit is 30mph, if there are no street light the national speed limit applies, to all intents and purposes 60 mph on a normal road. Although there should be a starter sign for the 30 zone they(council highways or whoever) are not allowed to put up repeater signs for a thirty zone that has street lights!

 

[sam_acw]

I remember seeing a scarecrow with a yellow jacket black cap and dummy speed camera in a garden in Norfolk.
As for a car - if you're hit by a truck it is going to hurt - a higher car is more likely to tip over but less likely to get squashed. Just make sure whatever you've got is airbagged up to the hilt and you keep things like a rescue tool (belt cutter/glass hammer) and extinguisher in it.

 

[Wayland]

I remember seeing a scarecrow with a yellow jacket black cap and dummy speed camera in a garden in Norfolk.

That's a classic idea......

 

[Tourist]

That's a classic idea......

When I was Plodding the radar guns were a bit thin on the ground so we used to point our radios or maglites at cars just to scare the drivers............worked every time

Originally posted by GOOSE

If there are no speed limit signs and the road has street lights(certain distance apart) the speed limit is 30mph, if there are no street light the national speed limit applies, to all intents and purposes 60 mph on a normal road. Although there should be a starter sign for the 30 zone they(council highways or whoever) are not allowed to put up repeater signs for a thirty zone that has street lights!

Off the top of my head I think the distance between street lights is 200 feets. But I mentione repeaters because he said he lived in a 40MPH street.