Oppose Traffic Calming Obstructions

From the BBC:

Road humps hamper police response

The Metropolitan Police has warned its response to emergency calls is being hampered by road humps.

A traffic division report accused councils of implementing traffic calming in roads which have no history of accidents.

In the last three months 34 police vehicles were possibly damaged due to traffic calming features, it added....

The disclosure comes after the head of London Ambulance Service called for a review of speed bumps, saying they put patient's lives in danger by slowing emergency response times.

The following pertinent items were originally posted in the Ontario Empoblog.

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Oppose Traffic Calming in Your Community
The Rational Motorists' Guide to Opposing Obstruction Strategies includes several tips for combating "traffic obstruction initiatives." Excerpts:

I. Know Thy Enemy
Traffic obstruction advocates are local residents, usually few in number, who have decided to rid their street of unwanted traffic....

II. Know Your Advantages
If you also live in the community and you can attend public meetings, your influence will be equal to or greater than your opponents'. Your presence puts elected officials on notice that they can't eliminate the source of their aggravation by appeasing the other side....

III. Know Your Allies
...Devices that physically impede vehicle speeds hinder emergency response services such as the police, EMTs, and fire trucks. These same devices create problems for public works departments, road maintenance crews, and delivery services....Representatives from such factions, combined with a few local residents, can provide formidable opposition to traffic obstruction projects.

V. Arguments Against Traffic Obstruction Devices
Traffic obstruction devices:
A. Can increase response time for emergency vehicles. When seconds matter, having to slow to pass over speed bumps and humps or navigate narrow roadways can mean the difference between life and death...
B. Can increase congestion on other streets and create problems in other neighborhoods....
C. Will increase vehicle wear and tear, air pollution, and noise....
D. Can increase street maintenance costs....
E. Increase a community's liability for accidents attributed to such devices.
F. May cause physical discomfort, even pain, for disabled persons or persons with physical ailments....
G. Create neighborhood friction....

Oppose Traffic Calming in Ontario Canada (and other parts of Canada too)
The Canada Safety Council cites several dangers and other problems resulting from traffic calming. One specific example for Canadians: "Proponents cite studies from Australia and Europe. Canadian infrastructure, climate and transportation needs are quite different from these countries. In Canada, snow clearing and icing are critical issues. Public transit needs are different. Canadians travel relatively long distances on a regular basis."

Another example, filtered through a Canadian lens: "A delay of just one minute due to speed humps or congestion on narrowed roads can mean the difference between life and death. Inefficient traffic flow on an access route to a hospital puts lives at stake. Snow clearing problems associated with blocked-off streets and other traffic calming obstructions will increase delays in winter, when many home fires and medical emergencies occur. Liability issues associated with traffic calming are hardly ever considered."

This is the first post. The following posts will be more profound (or less profound).