# Is it better for a car to go over a speed bump on one side or both? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 29, 2013, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-better-for-a-car-to-go-over-a-speed-bump-on-one-side-or-both/654266 "2013-03-29T15:20:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2013, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-better-for-a-car-to-go-over-a-speed-bump-on-one-side-or-both/654266/1 "2013-03-29T15:20:31Z")
A lot of people I’ve seen try to avoid speed bumps whenever possible, but when its unavoidable, I see them try to go over it with one side of the car only. I’ve always thought that was weird, as the car gets shaken up either way. I always go over it with both sides. I figure that even if it was slightly more damaging to the car going over it with both wheels, that will be mitigated by the dispersing the shock evenly throughout the car and if one side of the car is damaged, that will prematurely affect the other side. So which is it? Is it more damaging to the car to go over a speed bump with both sides or one side? ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2013, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-better-for-a-car-to-go-over-a-speed-bump-on-one-side-or-both/654266/2 "2013-03-29T15:28:03Z")
I think the main thing is to go over slowly, in which case it doesn’t really matter. If you go over fast, I guess you might have less repair work to do if you go over just one side, but I am not sure. ---
**Author:** ![Rama](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ccd318/32.png) [@Rama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rama)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2013, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-better-for-a-car-to-go-over-a-speed-bump-on-one-side-or-both/654266/3 "2013-03-29T15:45:55Z")
Less chance of scraping the bottom of your car or getting stuck. I only see people with lowered cars do this. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2013, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-better-for-a-car-to-go-over-a-speed-bump-on-one-side-or-both/654266/4 "2013-03-29T16:07:16Z")
I find my car shakes less if I go over on just one side. Since only one side goes up, the car’s center of gravity goes up half as much, so there’s half as much energy to dissipate when it comes back down. I don’t think damage comes into it at all unless you’re bottoming out. In order of increasing shakiness: 1. one side only 2. both sides at the same time 3. both sides, but at an angle so one side goes down when the other side goes up. ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2013, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-better-for-a-car-to-go-over-a-speed-bump-on-one-side-or-both/654266/5 "2013-03-29T16:36:03Z")
My unproven strategy is to chose 1 side and specifically the passenger side of the car. My logic is that the biggest impact is on the suspension system and by choosing the passenger side to take the brunt of the shock I’m minimizing the effect on the suspension from the added weight of the driver. Since almost all of my driving is either alone or with a passenger that is lighter than me I’m assuming that I’m stressing the part of the suspension that encounters the least resistance. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2013, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-better-for-a-car-to-go-over-a-speed-bump-on-one-side-or-both/654266/6 "2013-03-29T17:25:09Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > I think the main thing is to go over slowly, in which case it doesn’t really matter. If you go over fast, I guess you might have less repair work to do if you go over just one side, but I am not sure. The important thing is to honk your horn each time you go over one, to provide a disincentive to creating more of these abominations. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2013, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-better-for-a-car-to-go-over-a-speed-bump-on-one-side-or-both/654266/7 "2013-03-29T18:43:41Z")
The only ones I know of in my town are around the public schools, and with three kids under age ten (plus a thirteen year old), I would rather they stay in place! ---
**Author:** ![A.James](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5e925/32.png) [@A.James](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A.James)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2013, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-better-for-a-car-to-go-over-a-speed-bump-on-one-side-or-both/654266/8 "2013-03-29T19:10:40Z")
I always honk when I maneuver over speed humps because I know that the bitchy neighbor that lives on that road requested to have it installed and I hope to disrupt whatever they’re doing. It makes me feel nice. ---
**Author:** ![campp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2013, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-better-for-a-car-to-go-over-a-speed-bump-on-one-side-or-both/654266/9 "2013-03-29T19:15:12Z")
I’ve found that I can sail right over the bumps at 35MPH, in my half-ton pickup. There is virtually no bump, just the sound of the suspension absorbing the entire shock. Any less speed, or if driving my Buick, will cause you to nearly hit the ceiling. ---
**Author:** ![EmAnJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@EmAnJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmAnJ)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2013, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-better-for-a-car-to-go-over-a-speed-bump-on-one-side-or-both/654266/10 "2013-03-29T19:20:34Z")
Both wheels and usually maintain my speed unless it’s a _ **super speedbump** _. I find that I have less rattle/movement by maintaining my speed than by slowing down. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2013, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-better-for-a-car-to-go-over-a-speed-bump-on-one-side-or-both/654266/11 "2013-03-29T19:47:52Z")
> [@](#): > > I’ve found that I can sail right over the bumps at 35MPH You don’t feel any compunctions about doing that? I mean, that is essentially like going 10 times the speed limit. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2013, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-better-for-a-car-to-go-over-a-speed-bump-on-one-side-or-both/654266/12 "2013-03-29T20:08:39Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > You don’t feel any compunctions about doing that? I mean, that is essentially like going 10 times the speed limit. Hell know. If they want the speed limit at 5 mph, but up a damn sign that says so. If people violate it, give them a ticket. Don’t impede traffic with a bump designed to cause disruption. ---
**Author:** ![campp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2013, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-better-for-a-car-to-go-over-a-speed-bump-on-one-side-or-both/654266/13 "2013-03-29T20:13:00Z")
> [@campp](#): > > I’ve found that I can sail right over the bumps at 35MPH, in my half-ton pickup. There is virtually no bump, just the sound of the suspension absorbing the entire shock. > > Any less speed, or if driving my Buick, will cause you to nearly hit the ceiling. No, not 5MPH, but inferred to be 25MPH (no posted sign). Yeah, I’m speeding. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![dstarfire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dstarfire/32/5762_2.png) [@dstarfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dstarfire)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2013, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-better-for-a-car-to-go-over-a-speed-bump-on-one-side-or-both/654266/14 "2013-03-29T21:16:03Z")
I’ve found that going 20-25 mph over a speedbump makes them virtually unnoticable. Speed bumps do **NOT** constitute a legal speed limit by themselves, though they do have much the same effect as a stop sign (due to most drivers behavior towards them). A speed **bump** is a short (1-2 feet long, at most) bump, similar to what you’d encounter on washboard dirt road. A speed **hump** is several feet long (approximately the wheelbase of the average car) and designed so that your front and back wheels are never moving in the same vertical direction while you’re crossing it. Speed humps are jarring at any speed and get more jarring the faster you go. The only way to make these less jarring is to drive a vehicle with a longer wheelbase than the hump. ---
**Author:** ![PurpleClogs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f04885/32.png) [@PurpleClogs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PurpleClogs)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2013, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-better-for-a-car-to-go-over-a-speed-bump-on-one-side-or-both/654266/15 "2013-03-30T02:59:41Z")
I always thought the mess up the alignment if you go over it with only one wheel??? ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2013, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-better-for-a-car-to-go-over-a-speed-bump-on-one-side-or-both/654266/16 "2013-03-30T03:04:07Z")
> [@PurpleClogs](#): > > I always thought the mess up the alignment if you go over it with only one wheel??? I can’t see why. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2013, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-better-for-a-car-to-go-over-a-speed-bump-on-one-side-or-both/654266/17 "2013-03-30T04:00:56Z")
> [@campp](#): > > I’ve found that I can sail right over the bumps at 35MPH, in my half-ton pickup. There is virtually no bump, just the sound of the suspension absorbing the entire shock. > > Any less speed, or if driving my Buick, will cause you to nearly hit the ceiling. I’ve always felt that slowing down for speed bumps is a sign of weakness. Berkeley has installed speed humps, which are longer and lower, and specifically designed to be navigable at the speed limit. Any faster, and it’s a bit more exciting. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2013, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-better-for-a-car-to-go-over-a-speed-bump-on-one-side-or-both/654266/18 "2013-03-30T05:50:13Z")
There’s one appartment complex in this area (that I unfortunately have to go to every once in a while) that has speedbumps from hell. You have to slow to about 1 to 2 mph to go over them. And they don’t have gaps to let you go over with only one wheel, not that I would do that. I hate going to that place. I figured it was easier on the suspension to go over speedbumps with both wheels. That way there’s only the front-back displacement that the suspension has to deal with rather than both front-back and left-right. ---
**Author:** ![snailboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/97f17d/32.png) [@snailboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snailboy)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2013, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-better-for-a-car-to-go-over-a-speed-bump-on-one-side-or-both/654266/19 "2013-03-30T08:53:05Z")
I’m thinking on a vehicle with stabilizer bars, it would cause extra wear to that component, though how much I couldn’t say. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2013, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-better-for-a-car-to-go-over-a-speed-bump-on-one-side-or-both/654266/20 "2013-03-30T17:11:41Z")
By going over just one side (or sideways if you have to) you avoid smacking your oilpan on the face of the bump. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-better-for-a-car-to-go-over-a-speed-bump-on-one-side-or-both/654266.md?page=2)