Effects of speed hump on vehicle performance in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis, Ghana

Abstract

Upsurge in pedestrian-involved crashes, in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis, has led to the installation of speed humps to ameliorate the situation. This has, however, attracted public complaints citing ride discomfort, vehicle damage and safety concerns. This study aims to explore the extent to which crossing speed and hump dimensions contribute to these concerns. Spot speeds at the humps, 30 metres upstream and downstream of the humps, alongside vehicles’ undercarriage contacts with humps were recorded. Logistic regression analysis was done to identify significant contributors to vehicle-hump contacts. Humps induced considerable speed reduction from 50–66 km/h (upstream) to 22–30 km/h at the humps. The reduction was, however, transient with speed of 41–56 km/h, downstream. A considerable number of non-standard humps were identified, with 1 in 3 vehicles making contact with the humps. The vehicle-contact was influenced by crossing speed, hump height and negatively correlated with hump length. This elevates ride discomfort, crash risk, long-term vehicle damage and maintenance cost. Humps should be modified into raised-pedestrian crossings, preceded by humps and advanced warning signs to enforce speed limit compliance and prevent sudden deceleration at pedestrian crossings. Additionally, non-standard humps should be replaced, alongside strict adherence to design-standard in the installation of future ones.

Keywords

• Pedestrians
• speed hump
• hump height
• vehicle damage
• Sekondi-Takoradi