When you walk along a busy road where there are many pedestrians and cars, you must have come across a speed bump. In most cases, they are always situated in areas with more pedestrians crossing the road such as towns, learning institutions, parking slots, playgrounds, etc. These areas are always dangerous when there is overspeeding of the motorcycle or even cars. This is because aggressive riding of motorcycles in search areas increases the chances of accidents due to the increased number of pedestrians crossing the roads. Such accidents are always fatal as they cause injuries that sometimes lead to the loss of lives.
However, the presence of these bumps and humps on the roads in the busy areas reduces the chances of accidents. They are the most preferred strategy for reducing the speed of moving motorcycles and vehicles. It is safer to control a motorcycle on the road when riding at low speed, therefore this will make riding more efficient and safer in places with more pedestrians. Driving at low speed is also important in areas with sharp bends and corners. For this reason, when you ignore the bumps, they can make you feel uncomfortable when riding your motorcycle.
In most cases, ignoring these bumps causes damage to the motorcycle which can reduce its lifespan over time. Apart from damaging the motorcycle, ignoring the pumps can also cause injuries to the rider and sometimes can also cause accidents. Therefore, you need to slow down your motorcycle whenever you are approaching bumps on the road. On many roads, speed bumps are always indicated by zebra crossing in case pedestrians are crossing the road in large numbers. They are also indicated by signboards situated at some distance along the road to give you enough time for slowing down.
Difference between a speed bump and a speed hump.
After understanding the application of the speed humps and bumps on the roads, it is also important to know their difference. You might think that they are the same due to their common functionality. However, they are used differently which makes them different. Looking at the usage of speed humps, it is always used in places where the speed ranges from 10MPH to 15MPH. These speed humps are most commonly found in places where there are connecting roads and residential places where the traffic of vehicles and motorcycles is meant to be smooth and slow. This slow traffic will prevent the dangers of overspeeding to pedestrians.
On the other hand, speed bumps are traffic management used in areas both pedestrians and other vehicles are in large numbers. Such places may include packing slots and driveways with many pedestrians crossing the road. In such places, the speed of the motorcycle or cars is always recommended to vary between 2MPH to 10MPH to make pedestrians safe to move in the area. Most of the speed bumps always range between 2 to 4 inches in their height. This makes them narrower than the speed humps. In addition, the height of the speed bumps makes it more dangerous to go over especially with motorcycles and cars as compared to the speed humps. For this reason, speed bumps are always used in areas of heavy pedestrians and less traffic.
How do you go over a speed bump?
Now that you understand the difference between a speed bump and a speed hump, it is important to know how to ride over a bump with your motorcycle. Some people may decide to go over the bump by taking the wheels of the motorcycle one at a time. Other people may also decide to go over by riding the motorcycle along the diagonal of the bump while some just slow the speed of the motorcycle as low as possible. Despite all these methods being successful, some of them may be more inconvenient for many riders.
The most perfect method to go over the speed bump is just going slow by reducing the speed of your motorcycle. The ideal speed you may apply to be more efficient should be about 3MPH. This speed will make you easily control your motorcycle for more accuracy and stability when traveling over the bump. However, it is always not safe to travel over a speed bump with your motorcycle at an incline angle. Accelerating your motorcycle moderately when going over a pump is recommended and you should avoid braking when you are going over the bump. This may lower the front wheel of your motorcycle making it difficult to go over the bump. On the other hand, accelerating will lift it to move over the bump easier.
Therefore, when approaching the bumps, you should slow down the vehicle by applying the breaks until you reach the recommended speed. When you reach the bump, release the brakes and accelerate your vehicle moderately to lift your front wheel for it to easily go over the bump. When accelerating your vehicle on a bump, ensure to shift the gears into first gear and release the clutch. This will prevent your vehicle from stopping when as in the case of many vehicles when you use a higher gear. You can shift to the desired gear after going over the bump and continue enjoying your ride.
Why is it not recommended to speed over a speed bump?
These speed bumps are usually built on roads to improve safety when driving mostly in places with heavy pedestrian traffic. They improve safety by the slowing movement of vehicles therefore when you go over them at a high speed, it will highly damage your vehicle. This is because hitting a pump at a high speed will be like hammering any part of your motorcycle. The damages caused by traveling over a speed bump at high speed are usually more severe on a motorcycle than on other vehicles. This is because most of the vehicles are usually built to withstand common road abuses. Therefore, they only get damaged when they frequently face road abuse and accidents.
However, motorcycles, rarely withstand most road abuses such as speeding on bumps. This makes them more vulnerable to damage especially when you don’t follow the traffic rules when riding. The most common abuse many drivers make is jumping over a pump. This practice is more dangerous, especially when using a motorcycle. When you jump over a speed bump, the center of gravity of your motorcycle is raised. This will make you lose stability and increase your chances of falling. This scenario is more popular on motorcycles than on cars. This is because most motorcycles usually operate on two wheels and are therefore less stable than other vehicles that use four or more wheels.
FAQs
How do I ride my motorcycle over a speed bump?
For you to ride over a speed bump safely with your motorcycle, shift to first gear and leave the clutch. Ride it slowly with your butt raised. You can do this by using the pegs to push yourself into an upper position. In addition, always keep your knees bent for efficiency.
Is speed bump dangerous for motorcycles?
Speed bumps are meant to slow down the movement of vehicles on the road. They can only be dangerous when they are abused. However, they are not built to endanger your motorcycle, it will be upon you to make them cause no harm to your motorcycle by going over them safely.
What way is the best to travel over a speed bump?
The most preferred way to go over a speed bump is by having moderate acceleration and avoiding brakes when traveling at the speed bump. When you apply brakes, the front wheel of your motorcycle will be lowered while the back will be raised making it difficult to go over the bump.
What are the major causes of accidents in a motorcycle?
Motorcycle accidents like any other type are usually caused by careless driving which involves abuse of traffic rules such as not slowing down when going over speed bumps and speed humps. Besides, it is also caused by over speeding motorcycles which makes it difficult to control.
Abuse of alcohol is also another cause of accidents in motorcycles that usually happens quite often.
What is the most preferred speed when traveling over a speed bump?
The most preferred speed when you want to go over a speed bump safely is about 3MPH. However, some drivers may safely go over a bump with a speed limit of up to 5MPH.
Conclusion
Speed pumps are ideal traffic management that helps drivers improve safety when driving. They are always important in avoiding the lives of pedestrians being endangered when accessing the roads. They are usually the most preferred way of slowing the movement of vehicles on roads. Failing to slow your motorcycle when going over these speed jumps endangers your life, the life of your motorcycle, and also the life of pedestrians accessing the road. Therefore, when riding your motorcycle always ensure you obey the traffic management rules are required.
