Vehicles may drive on sidewalks or through front yards to avoid speed humps. Traffic may be diverted to previously quiet parallel streets in the neighborhood. Emergency service response time suffers. Motorized street sweeping equipment cannot be used at speed hump locations. Speed humps interfere with street repaving, decreasing the effectiveness of both the speed hump and the new pavement surface.
Speed humps block the flow of drainage water on some streets and can cause flooding problems.
Speed humps require signing and striping, which some residents consider unattractive. Petitions help show whether strong resident support for speed humps exists. Residents must obtain support from at least 70 percent of residents in the affected area, and must obtain support from every resident whose home is within 100 feet of a proposed speed hump. Speed humps are permitted on local streets in residential areas where the speed limit is 25 mph. Residents can collect and pay their portion of the cost of speed humps any way they like.