This article is intended to be the first in a series of chronicles which will mainly focus on the realities of civil constructions (roads, buildings, structures, etc.) in Burkina Faso. The objective behind these writings is not to point out the culprit, nor the person who did their job well; but to explain in easy French, sometimes with a satirical tone, what the layman in civil constructions does not know or does not understand. For this first issue, road speed bumps commonly called “lying gendarme” or “speed bumps” are on the menu.

My cousin WONI came to see me last week, his face scratched. To the question: “What happened?” “. He replied in his own words: “I took a lying gendarme”. Another question follows: “were you asleep at the wheel?” » The annoying question! I was treated to quite a speech.

In summary, there was no public lighting, no speed bump sign, no speed limit of 30 km/h, no ground markings, so there was nothing that could inform him of the presence of the speed bump and the speed limit of 30 km/h. In addition, the speed bump in question was as big as a lying camel. Although speed bumps are used to make our roads safer, it is clear that this is not always the case.

Before going any further, let’s agree on what a road speed bump is. In Burkina, there are two types that are commonly used: “speed bump” type speed bumps and “trapezoidal” type speed bumps. These types of speed bumps are defined as fixed devices, deliberately placed across a road, a lane, to force a vehicle to reduce its speed to 30 km/h.

In easy French, if I drive at 30 km/h, I must be able to cross a speed bump without having to slow down and without fearing the health of my shock absorbers and if I drive faster, I will break my nose. To keep it simple in the following, let’s call them all speed bumps.

Then let’s ask ourselves why, speed bumps have been in fashion for several years now. Speeding is a real problem in our cities and countryside. You have to have the courage to recognize it. We understood that we cannot trust the good faith of the driver. Miracle solution, we put speed bumps everywhere, even where they are not needed! Too much meat doesn’t spoil a good sauce anyway. Not sure, my cousin will say.

Now let’s compare the technical recommendations to what is done:

–  A speed bump must not be placed outside a town or village for the simple reason that outside built-up areas, the speed limit exceeds 70 km/h. My cousin WONI, hand on heart, swore he had already seen one in the middle of nowhere. I take his word for it;

–  To allow honest citizens who respect 30 km/h to pass through without difficulty, the rule limits the height of speed bumps to 10 cm for a length of 4 m. Hmm, I’ve seen some that are more than double the height and less than half the length. When you climb on it, it’s like you’ve climbed the mountain in my village. The fall is always harsh. Even at less than 30 km/h, it is impossible for certain vehicles to pass peacefully;

–  Since the speed bump is defined as an obstacle, it must be seen and clearly seen from a distance. This is why it must always be accompanied by advance signage that tells the driver, “reduce your speed to 30 km/h” and position signage that tells the driver exactly where the speed bump is. In this sense, a speed bump should in no case surprise the driver unless he or she is asleep at the wheel of course.

Many speed bumps have lost their traffic signs. And many have never been replaced, making certain speed bumps sources of accidents.

Before I forget. My cousin WONI, reminded me that on June 8, 2012, the Council of Ministers adopted a decree establishing standards for the design and construction of road speed reducers in Burkina Faso with the objective of “improving road safety and reducing the inconvenience often created by these types of devices while crossing the towns concerned. Hum! It’s 2018.

Finally, what alternatives can we suggest? Removing speed bumps is not the short and medium term solution. When the Burkinabe has sufficient integrity to respect road signs without having to be forced to do so, the State will be able to consider their removal. To achieve this, it will take a good awareness campaign and, above all, a good repression campaign. My cousin suggests standardizing them in the meantime. He also says that maintaining them would make huge gains in terms of road safety.

Pved lanes can be an alternative to speed bumps in places. Anyone who has ever tried rallying on cobblestone roads knows what I’m talking about. These paved roads can for example be used in small villages as is the case in Benin or even in town for secondary roads approaching areas with high riverside activity such as markets. Of course, paved roads do not guarantee a speed limit of 30 km/h, but can significantly reduce them.