I HAVE read with interest the various points of view on the advantages or otherwise of speed humps and should like to tell you of an experience I had a year or two ago.

At that time I had an estate car and travelled regularly over the 12 speed humps down Askham Lane from my house to the York outer ring road.

I took the car in to the garage for a new exhaust system and, when the car was lifted on to the ramp, the mechanic told me to look under the car at the tyres. I thought that strange because the tyres had plenty of tread on them and were in good condition.

I was in for a shock. The inside walls of all the tyres, particularly the back ones, had become very worn. So badly that the tyres had to be changed. What had happened was the bevels on the speed humps had worn away the inside walls of the tyres.

The Askham Lane speed humps were, and still are, always in need of repair and, as the outer sloping walls of the humps become pitted and damaged, they can cut away the inside wall of tyres, especially low-profile tyres. So beware and keep checking the condition of your tyres, your life may depend on it.

The speed bumps I refer to have just undergone yet another repair so are not too bad... this week.

Stuart Wilson,

Vesper Drive,

Acomb,

York.

Updated: 09:34 Thursday, April 07, 2005