Speed bumps may be larger than they appear.
In nearly any apartment complex one visits in Baton Rouge, the infamous speed bump, which appears to be small and harmless, is sure to be found.
While they are designed to slow students down, most seem to disregard their purpose and rarely heed the warning and acknowledge that big yellow sign reading: Speed Bump.
Claire Capitelli, a mass communication freshman, said she is not a fan of speed bumps and said if anyone does actually slow down, it’s only just before the bumps.
“I hate speed bumps, I have to slam on my breaks before every one and it doesn’t matter how slow I go, they still jolt my car when I go over them,” Capitelli said. “They’re just a pain and no one actually goes any slower; what’s the point?”
Speed bumps may not seem to warrant extra attention, but local professionals agree that failing to slow down while passing over one may cause major damage to an individual’s car.
Mark Jones, manager and partner of Jetstream Tire and Care Care said that students often casually fly over the speed bumps without a second thought.
“If you go too fast over the speed bumps you can do major damage to numerous parts of your car. Car owners need to realize this and slow down,” Jones said.
Jones said a car’s shocks, suspension, tires and alignment may suffer as a result.
Ashley Loupe, a pre-dental freshman, said she thinks speed bumps serve a good purpose but need to be smaller.
“I have a low car and they scrape the bottom every time, it never fails,” Loupe said. “It doesn’t matter how slow I go, they still manage to scrape.”
Jones said the ideal speed when going over a speed bump is no more than 5 mph.
Jones said students who fly over the bumps should think twice before putting the pedal to the metal as they approach a speed bump.
“Going as little as 10 mph over the bumps may cause damage,” Jones said.
Jeff Rametta, manager of Winners Circle Car Care Center, said oftentimes the under carriage of a vehicle may be damaged from repeatedly speeding over speed bumps.
“Speed bumps are not meant to be gone over while going 20 to 25 mph. Speeding over the bumps jars the car’s frame and can cause damage to the vehicle,” Rametta said.
Rametta said if drivers go over the bumps at the appropriate speed, no damage is done. It is when drivers disregard the speed bumps and speed over them which causes damage.
Both Jones and Rametta agreed that the most common damage is to the car’s alignment and tires.
Jones said the degree of damage is dependent on several different things and also depends on the type of vehicle, as well as the age of the car.
“People in SUVs and trucks can fly over the speed bumps with ease, they just go over them like they aren’t even there,” said Gizmo Lewis, a pre-law sophomore. “My car is small and the consequences of speeding over them are much greater.”
Larger vehicles such as SUVs and trucks have more suspension, large springs, and consequently have more room to speed over the bumps, Jones explained.
While alignment and tire damage may be the most frequent problem areas, Rametta said struts, commonly known as a car’s shocks, also suffer from the jolt produced from speeding over the bumps.
The struts are located behind the tire and may be weakened or blown out by repeated disregard for the speed bumps, Rametta said.
In some cases even the car’s radiator may receive an unnecessary blow if a bump is hit hard enough, Rametta said.
Jones said in some extreme cases if a car’s frame has been damaged prior, the frame can be broken completely after speeding over a speed bump. When this occurs the care veers sharply in one direction and is extremely dangerous.
Rametta said the big problem is that the damage which occurs isn’t visible.
“How many students regularly get a glance of the underside of their car?” asked Rametta. “There is a lot more to be seen when a car comes in and is racked, then the damage may be accessed.”
While tire damage may be the most common damage mechanics find, the repairs which often accompany the replacement of a tire can be very costly, Jones said.
The replacement of just a tire may seem minimal, a single tire can run anywhere from 50 to several hundred dollars, Jones said.
If an individual feels as if their car isn’t handling as well and seems to be shaking, this is an indication of tire damage Rametta said.
Rametta said cars which receive damage from speed bumps often need to be re-aligned.
Rametta said if a student feels their car pulling right or left, this could be a tell-tale sign of alignment damage.
Re-alignment can cost between $40 and $80, Rametta said.
Depending on the degree of damage, Jones said severe damage caused from speed bumps usually costs car owners anywhere from $500 to $1500 on average.