The effects of mobile roadside speedometers on traffic speeds

✍ Scribed by Steven M. Casey; Adrian K. Lund

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1993
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 537 KB
• Volume: 25
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0001-4575
• DOI: 10.1016/0001-4575(93)90014-n

✦ Synopsis

A study was conducted to evaluate mobile roadside speedometers as a means of controlling urban traffic speeds under varied schedules of deployment and speed limit law enforcement . Speeds of cars passing the roadside speedometer were measured using nondetectable radar . The data indicate that, generally, the speedometers presence reduced average traffic speeds by about 10% alongside the speedometer and about 7% at short distances downstream . The proportion of drivers exceeding the speed limit by at least 10 mph fell dramatically from 15%-20% to only 2% at one site on days the speedometer was deployed, and the device was particularly effective when deployed in school zones . However, the effect of the speedometer was limited to the times when it was actually deployed . Associated police enforcement is a key factor, as the effect of the speedometer decayed over time but could be long lasting with a minimal amount of enforcement activity in the area of the speedometer .