Speed limits

The impacts of the Manahan flyover development in front of Junior High School 1 in Surakarta City, Indonesia, increased road safety risks for the students due to poor urban mobility planning. Since its opening in late 2018, there have already been 12 crashes around the flyover, which resulted in two deaths in the two years after the opening. This research aims to assess the school safety zones using the Star Rating for Schools (SR4S) from the International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP) and propose recommendations for safer road infrastructure using a youth participation approach. The students are empowered with capacity building in road safety to be able to map road problems. They were then involved in participatory design to propose safer road infrastructure which met their needs. The SR4S results can influence the government as the decision-makers to provide a safe environment around the Manahan flyover.

The paper analyzes the relationship between urban speed limits and vehicle emissions. There is an ongoing trend of reducing speed limits from 50 km∕h to 30 km∕h for the sake of increasing road safety. However, the impact of this policy on CO2 emissions is still unclear. It can be mixed depending on the proportion of dynamic and steady-state driving. While cruising emissions are higher at lower speeds, lower speeds entail less acceleration in urban traffic. Based on our investigation, one network topology feature (road length) and two traffic-related parameters (traffic volume and turning ratio) have been suggested for analysis being the most relevant to affect vehicle emission. Their correlation with potential emission reduction was evaluated using high-fidelity traffic simulation based on traffic scenarios validated with real traffic data. Random forest regression was used to support the optimal selection of zones for speed limit reduction. Traffic simulations on large urban networks prove that CO 2 emission reductions of over 10% can be achieved in the case of a well-chosen speed limit policy.

The connected vehicles are the future of transportation. Road can be much safer when vehicles are able to communicate about the traffic and road conditions to its surrounding vehicles or if they can "talk" to each other. A smooth communication among vehicles can be helpful in terms of road safety in case of sudden speed breaks, bumps, slow moving traffic, poor visibility conditions such as fog and, importantly, wrong way traffic. Our work suggests potential applications of Vehicleto-Vehicle (V2V) communication for improving road safety in Pakistan. We have considered one such unsignalized intersection point at main University Road, Karachi and presented an approach to make this road safer for vehicles and pedestrians using V2V technology.

Recently, analysed the international inequalities in Ecological Footprints per capita (EF hereafter) based on a two-factor decomposition of an index from the Atkinson family ). Specifically, this paper evaluated the separate role of environment intensity (EF/GDP) and average income as explanatory factors for these global inequalities. However, in addition to other comments on their appeal, this decomposition suffers from the serious limitation of the omission of the role exerted by probable factorial correlation ). This paper proposes, by way of an alternative, a decomposition of a conceptually similar index like Theil's which, in effect, permits clear decomposition in terms of the role of both factors plus an inter-factor correlation, in line with . This decomposition might, in turn, be extended to group inequality components , an analysis that cannot be conducted in the case of the Atkinson indices. The proposed methodology is implemented empirically with the aim of analysing the international inequalities in EF per capita for the 1980-2007 period and, amongst other results, we find that, indeed, the interactive component explains, to a significant extent, the apparent pattern of stability observed in overall international inequalities.

We monitored the mortality of herpetofauna on a fortnightly basis along National Highway 220, which cuts across the Western Ghats, India, during December 2006-November 2007. In all, 101 amphibians (3.5 amphibians/ 10km) belonging to six taxa and 78 reptiles (2.7 reptiles/ 10 km) of 23 taxa were found dead in 48 surveys. The mortality of amphibians during day and night was significantly different (Z= 3.12, n1= 24, n2= 24, P<0.01), whereas this was not so with respect to reptiles. The difference in the mortality of amphibians between seasons was not significant, but it was significant with respect to reptiles (Z= -1.188, n1= 24, n2= 24, p< 0.05). Overall, the road kills of amphibians were significantly correlated with that occurring in nearby forests (r = 0.67, n= 12, P< 0.01), but reptiles had no such relationship. The number of road kills of amphibians and reptiles on a monthly basis was not correlated with the intensity of vehicle plying on the road.

Two speed management policies were implemented in the metropolitan area of Barcelona aimed at reducing air pollution concentration levels. In 2008, the maximum speed limit was reduced to 80 km/h and, in 2009, a variable speed system was introduced on some metropolitan motorways. This paper evaluates whether such policies have been successful in promoting cleaner air, not only in terms of mean pollutant levels but also during high and low pollution episodes. We use a quantile regression approach for fixed effect panel data. We find that the variable speed system Highlights Two speed management policies-a variable speed system and an 80 km/h speed limithave been implemented on Barcelona's urban motorways to mitigate NO x and PM 10 air pollution. We use a quantile regression approach that enables us to identify the policy impact in terms of mean concentrations, as well as its effects during low and high pollution episodes. The variable speed system reduces NO x and PM 10 levels in most scenarios, although the impact varies according to the initial pollution level and the type of pollutant. We confirm that reducing the maximum speed from 120 or 100 km/h to 80 km/h has no impact on pollution levels and can even increase some pollution levels slightly.

Two speed management policies were implemented in the metropolitan area of Barcelona aimed at reducing air pollution concentration levels. In 2008, the maximum speed limit was reduced to 80 km/h and, in 2009, a variable speed system was introduced on some metropolitan motorways. This paper evaluates whether such policies have been successful in promoting cleaner air, not only in terms of mean pollutant levels but also during high and low pollution episodes. We use a quantile regression approach for fixed effect panel data. We find that the variable speed system Highlights Two speed management policies-a variable speed system and an 80 km/h speed limithave been implemented on Barcelona's urban motorways to mitigate NO x and PM 10 air pollution. We use a quantile regression approach that enables us to identify the policy impact in terms of mean concentrations, as well as its effects during low and high pollution episodes. The variable speed system reduces NO x and PM 10 levels in most scenarios, although the impact varies according to the initial pollution level and the type of pollutant. We confirm that reducing the maximum speed from 120 or 100 km/h to 80 km/h has no impact on pollution levels and can even increase some pollution levels slightly.

This result is also consistent with previous findings that indicate that drone radar has the greatest effect on commercial vehicles. Commercial vehicles are known to use radar detectors more than other vehicles and, therefore, are the ones that can sense the radar signal from the drone. Consequently, it is not surprising that an effect of drone radar and police presence is consistently found for high speed commercial vehicles. In this study, large reductions of the portion of trucks in the pass lane exceeding the speed limit by at least 10 mph were found at two out of the three test sites. Reductions in this measure were observed at both of the zones on US-23. These varied by time of day and, in some circumstances, were quite large with magnitudes between 30 percent and 70 percent. There was no similar reduction in high speed trucks at the construction zone on 1-96. A study specifically designed to explore the effects of drone radar and police presence on the behavior of high speed commercial vehicles with different levels of radardetector use would have to be carried out before specific statements on the actual effects on the behavior of high speed trucks can be made. However, it is clear that the drone radar and police presence does affect the speed of the fastest moving trucks. These trucks are particularly hazardous in a traffic stream and it is highly beneficial for safety to modify their speeding behavior. Although the findings about the speed reduction of trucks are not consistent, they do indicate that there are real effects of the drone radar and police patrols on high speed trucks. It can be concluded that drone radar with police presence is a good countermeasure at locations where high speed trucks are a problem.

Two speed management policies were implemented in the metropolitan area of Barcelona aimed at reducing air pollution concentration levels. In 2008, the maximum speed limit was reduced to 80 km/h and, in 2009, a variable speed system was introduced on some metropolitan motorways. This paper evaluates whether such policies have been successful in promoting cleaner air, not only in terms of average pollutant levels but also during high and low pollution episodes. To do so, we use a quantile regression approach for fixed effect panel data, which allows us analyzing different scenarios (beyond the average levels). We find that the variable speed system improves air quality with regard to the two pollutants considered here, being most effective when nitrogen oxide levels are not too low and when particulate matter concentrations are below extremely high levels. However, reducing the maximum speed limit from 120/100 km/h to 80 km/h has no effect-or even a slightly increasing effect-on the two pollutants, depending on the pollution scenario. Highlights (for review)

Speed control is a key requirement in direct current (DC) motor applications where accuracy, reliability, flexibility, and safety are of high importance. In this study, a microcontroller and resistive touchscreen-based DC motor speed monitoring and control system were developed. The core components employed in the development of the system include Arduino ATMega328P microcontroller, thin film technology (TFT) resistive touch screen, L293D motor driver, and infrared (IR) sensor module. ATMega328P microcontroller is the brain of the system around which the overall circuit design was modeled. TFT resistive touch screen displays the motor speed and also, enables the users to set a desired speed. L293D motor driver regulates the voltage and current supplied to the motor, and a feedback loop comprising an IR sensor module ensures the maintenance of the motor speed at the desired level. A performance test was conducted on the developed system to ascertain its correct functionality. The developed speed monitoring and control system operated satisfactorily during testing; achieving a speed control in the range of 800 to 3000 rpm. The developed device is useful and can be scaled up for various domestic and industrial applications.

Despite significant research efforts to understand the speed reduction potentials of work zone interventions, little is known about the reductions achievable by the use of pilot vehicles. This paper innovatively examines the speed reduction potential of pilot vehicle in a Queensland rural highway work zone. Analysis of five days’ speed data showed that pilot vehicle reduced mean speeds at the treatment location, but not downstream. The proportion of speeding vehicles was also reduced, particularly those travelling at 10 km/h or more above the posted limit. Motorists were more likely to speed during the day, under a 40 km/h limit and when traffic volumes were higher. While it is commonly believed that pilot vehicle controls the speeds of all following vehicles, results of this study showed that pilot car had greater effects on reducing speeds of vehicles following it closely than those which are far behind in a traffic stream. To maximize these benefits, it is necessary to ensure tha...

Note: Principles are multicolored, core elements are in grey, and action areas are in orange. Figure ES1.1 | Principles, Core Elements, and Action Areas of the Safe Systems Approach CORE ELEMENTS Economic Analysis Priorities and Planning Monitoring and Evaluation Strong Targets and Data Comprehensive Governance and Management PRINCIPLE S Humans Make Errors Humans Are Vulnerable to Injury Responsility Is Shared Proactive vs. Reactive No Death or Serious Injury is Acceptable AC TION ARE A S Land Use Planning Improved Mobility Options Enforcement, Laws and Regulation Street Design and Engineering Speed Management Education and Capacity Building Vehicle Design and Technology Post-crash Emergency Response and Care This concept is often referred to as shared responsibility. It implies that governments, the private sector, and civil society all share responsibility with road users for making the transport system safe. The responsible public officials are often referred to as transport system designers, a term that encompasses not only design professionals but everyone involved in contributing to the development and operation of the transport system, from engineers and planners to police to lawmakers and rule-makers, health professionals, and others (ITF 2016). Under the Safe System, they work together to implement many evidence-based measures that reduce the possibility of collisions occurring and their impacts if they do occur.

Background: In spite of ongoing commitment and efforts, road traffic accidents continue to be a leading cause of death and disabilities in India. Adequate knowledge on road safety measures among budding doctors can create awareness and provide preventive counselling to their clients. An attempt was made to assess the knowledge and practices about road safety measures among intern and resident doctors working in tertiary care setting.Methods: An institution based cross-sectional study was conducted among 168 young doctors of Jorhat Medical College, Jorhat, Assam.Results: Among the enrolled study participants 54% were intern and 46% were resident doctors. More than half of the participants were male. Knowledge on different, road signs among the young doctors ranges in between 68% to 99%. The dangerous effects of alcohol consumption while driving/riding were known to 93% of the participants.  While riding two wheels, only 58% always use helmet with belt and 33% sometimes use mobile pho...

Introduction: Road traffic accidents (RTAs) pose a significant burden on the health care system in India with high out of pocket medical expenditure. Awareness about this public health problem is necessary to combat it and this study was carried out to assess knowledge and practice towards road safety among the adult population in the kantha and Nawabganj in unnao district of Uttar Pradesh. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was carried out among 427 adults aged 16 years and above residing in the region for more than one year. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to assess their knowledge and practice towards road safety measures. Results: Majority 69.1% of the participants were in the age group of 16-25 years, males were 70.3 % and 59% had up to matric level of education. Overall knowledge and practice was found to be satisfactory among 55% of the participants. Previous history of accidents, 17.3% had reported in family and out of them, 43.24% of them had reported 8am-4pm timing...

Road accident due to overspeeding is a common occurrence in a developing nation such as Nigeria. Therefore, the need for a device capable of notifying a vehicle driver when the allowed speed limit of an area is exceeded arises. In this work, a microcontroller based automobile speed limiting device and alarm control system was designed and developed. The core components employed for the system design include Arduino Nano microcontroller, 1602 liquid crystal displays (LCD) module, light-emitting diodes (LEDs), buzzer, 18650 battery, I2C, infrared detectors and push buttons. Data gathering and circuit designs were implemented with microcontroller as focal point using suitable design models. Performance test was carried out on the developed system and the device's reading error was determined. The developed automobile speed limiting device and alarm control system was functional and performed satisfactorily during testing. The reading error of the device was evaluated as 5.83%. The developed speed limiting device, apart from being suitable and efficient for vehicle speed measurement, could also be deployed for general applications requiring speed measurement.

Speed management is crucial to a safe road and traffic system. Unsafe speeds travelled by motor vehicles contributes to around 40% of road fatalities. This lecture discusses the pivotal role of speed management in safe system road safety and how to address the problem of speeding. With the adoption of Safe System principles for road safety strategies, it is no longer acceptable that people should die or be seriously injured due to mistakes made when using roads. The design and management parameter for road and traffic systems should focus on the fallibility and vulnerability of human road users. Speed is a most critical factor because it is the crash impact speed that determines the degree of harm that is inflicted on people. Speed management is perhaps the most contested issue in road safety and the most difficult one to perform effectively. Part of this problem has to do with the very nature of human beings. Instead of making every effort to keep safe, people tend to always try to optimise the benefits of their risk behaviour. To make things worse, behavioural research has found that human beings do not generally judge risk accurately and have an optimism bias. So, when it comes to driving speed selection people tend to misjudge the time it will take for them to take evasive action or stop in time to avoid a crash. Perception, reaction and braking times will be covered in this lecture. From crash data analysis and biomechanical research findings the impact crash speeds that can kill people in various crash types are now known. For example, the percentage of risk of fatally injuring a pedestrian rises sharply after the impact speed exceeds 30 km/h. Road networks generally have a variety of functions. There are roads that have primarily flow through functions, roads with access functions and roads that serve to cater for a mix of vulnerable and less vulnerable road users. The Dutch first fostered the notion that road hierarchies should be defined, encompassing all of the functions that the road network aims to support. Then possible crash or traffic conflict types can be analysed. If the overriding priority is to prevent road deaths, the safe limit for roads with possible conflicts between cars and unprotected road users is 30 km/h or lower. For locations where impacts with fixed roadside objects are possible the limit should be no higher than 40km/h. For intersections with possible lateral conflicts between cars 50km/h would be the maximum limit. Roads with possible head-on crashes between cars would have a limit no greater than 70 km/h. Where head-on and side-on conflicts with other road users are impossible, limits greater than 70 km/h can be considered. Motorways with side barriers and centre barriers should be limited to 110 km/h maximum. This lecture will discuss the actions that can be taken to prevent speed-related road injuries and fatalities. It will cover social, behavioural and engineering solutions.

Speed is an important factor of road accidents. This paper focusses on changes and differences in speed of the traffic flow and on speed differences between different vehicles. Based on an international literature survey the relevance of the speed related factors for road safety are described. Road categorization and delineation of speed limit zones are identified as the most important tools to obtain a more homogeneous speed pattern. Based on a series of case studies including the different urbanization typologies, it is shown that regarding the implementation of these two planning concepts, little has been achieved in Flanders. The scattered and ribbon shaped urbanization along the secondary and local roads and the step by step adaptation of speed limits on road segments by the different road authorities, give rise to a manifest lack of homogeneity . Based on the Flemish Road Signs Database a quantitative analysis (e.g. relating to the length of segments, number of speed limit cha...

This report presents four major methodologies and practices that are utilized to establish speed limits. These are optimization, expert systems, injury minimization, and the engineering approach. It also looks at legal factors regarding speed limits and provides case studies that describe speed limit setting on different types of roads. The report also offers detailed information on speed safety, design of speed limit signs, data collection for speed studies, enforcement of speed limits, and placement of speed limit signs.

Background: More than 1.2 million deaths occur each year on the world&#39;s roads. In India, the number of motor vehicles on the road is increasing with the population and economic growth. It has been estimated that if effective and immediate action is not taken, deaths due to road traffic accidents will become the fifth leading cause of deaths by 2020. Objectives was to assess the level of awareness and behavior regarding road safety rules among undergraduate medical students.Methods: The present cross-sectional study was conducted in a Medical College of western Uttar Pradesh. In the present study 200 final and pre-final year, undergraduate medical students were selected with the help of simple random selection, who drive/use vehicles either of their own or others. The study period was from June 2019 to August 2019.Results: About 29 percent of participants responded that they do not follow lane rules while driving. Study showed that 72.1% and 42.0% were aware that what documents t...

Impacts of roadkills are extensively documented in developed nations.  Only a handful of studies on road mortality has emerged from developing nations where tourism and rural development have led to an expansion of transportation networks.  To fill such gaps, we conducted a survey to document roadkills in and around two tourism-heavy national parks of Sri Lanka and identified factors that contribute to road mortality.  Based on a questionnaire, we interviewed 68 local villagers, 56 local and 59 foreign visitors, and 57 safari drivers to document their opportunistic observations on roadkills, their awareness about roadkills, and to understand potential causes of roadkills.  We found 47 roadkilled vertebrate species at both parks; among these, 19 are threatened and 20 are endemic.  Our research revealed that herpetofauna were killed the most.  We concluded that increased visitation, high-speed driving, lack of awareness, and poor law enforcement as the likely causes of roadkills at bo...

The Secretary of Transportation rightly says that the road safety status quo in the US is unacceptable. The new National Strategy is supposed "to make a meaningful difference over the next few years" by embracing the Safe System Approach. The approach has been impressively successful in Europe and Australia. The NRSS version, however, has been so watered down that it is not likely to do the job.

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to assess the knowledge and practices of road traffic safety measures among undergraduate medical students and recommendation to prevent road traffic accident. Methods: It was an institutional-based cross-sectional study among undergraduate medical students who knew driving. Total 138 study subjects were purposively selected from three batches. A self-structured questionnaire based on knowledge and practices related to road traffic safety measures with Yes/No answer pattern. Data were collected, compiled, and analyzed using appropriate software. Results: Overall level of knowledge for road traffic safety measures was good/moderate among 37.7% of medical students each while poor among 24.6% students (more among 1 st year/39.3% than 2 nd year/19.0%, 3 rd year/10.0%) (statistically significant X 2 =13.304, p-value=0.01). Road traffic safety practices were followed by students (%), namely, wearing a seat belt while driving/seating in four-wheeler' by 84.1% and neither keep specified speed limit on road/2.9% nor obey all traffic signals/lights/signs'/2.9%. Few students use mobile phone while driving, namely, 2 nd year/19.0% and 3 rd year/10.0%. Some students did not follow Road Safety rules viz. "Not Wear Helmet while driving a two-wheeler"(21.7%); "Overtaking from left side"(17.4%); and "drive even when alcoholic"(4.3%). Conclusions: Knowledge for road traffic rules/regulation was good/moderate among average number of students. Majority of medical students' obey all traffic rules/light signal and signs while some students still did not follow it; use mobile phone while driving/not stop at zebra crossing and neither use indicators while turning nor keep valid DL. To improve the current scenario, road traffic safety rules/measures should be added in our medical curriculum and there is need of frequent awareness campaign related to road safety measures to change their behavior while driving and save their precious life.

Recent federal legislation allowing states to set their own speed limits on highways, as well as increases in the number of requests from citizens and neighborhood groups to implement actions to reduce “excessive” speeding on their streets and highways, has created considerable debate about and scrutiny of the appropriate speed limits that should be posted on state highways. Various speed studies have indicated that sensible and cautious drivers will most likely drive at the speed dictated by roadway and traffic conditions rather than relying on a posted speed limit. To incorporate roadway characteristics and traffic volumes into the selection of the most appropriate (i.e., comfortable, safe, and efficient) speed limit, actual engineering field speed studies are carried out. Generally, the 85th percentile speed at which the drivers surveyed are driving is selected as a primary factor in determining the posted speed limit. Carrying out such field studies for all highway sections is a...

A recent research project jointly sponsored by the Transit Cooperative Research Program and the National Cooperative Highway Research Program had two main objectives: (a) recommend selected engineering treatments to improve safety for pedestrians crossing highvolume, high-speed roadways at unsignalized intersections, in particular those served by public transportation; and (b) recommend modifications to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices [MUTCD] pedestrian traffic signal warrant. The research team developed guidelines that can be used to select pedestrian crossing treatments for unsignalized intersections and midblock locations (Guidelines for Pedestrian Crossing Treatments). Quantitative procedures in the Guidelines use key input variables (such as pedestrian volume, street crossing width, traffic volume, etc.) to recommend one of four possible crossing treatment categories. The research team developed and presented recommendations to revise the MUTCD pedestrian warrant for traffic control signals to the National Committee on Uniform Traffic Control Devices. In accomplishing the two main study objectives, the research team also developed useful supporting information such as the findings from the field studies on walking speed and motorist compliance. Pedestrian walking speed recommendations were 3.5 ft/s (1.07 m/s) for general population and 3.0 ft/s (0.9 m/s) for older or less able population. Motorist compliance (yielding or stopping where required) was the primary measure of effectiveness for engineering treatments at unsignalized roadway crossings. The study found that the crossing treatment does have an impact on motorist compliance, and other factors influencing the treatment effectiveness were number of lanes being crossed and posted speed limit.

This research aims to develop a road safety assessment index (RSAI) based on the safe system concept. This index can be used to rate and rank countries according to the effectiveness of the national road safety strategic plans; to monitor the progress towards a set target; and to suggest strategic solutions. To develop the RSAI, its thematic indicators are identified to cover safer road infrastructure and mobility, safer vehicles, and safer road-user behaviour. A sub model is developed for each thematic indicator, along with their individual indicators that can give a full reflection. The road assessment programme (RAP) is considered to identify the indicator of safer road infrastructure and mobility. For this, a procedure for extending the RAP methodology is developed and evaluated. The new car assessment programme (NCAP) of rating cars is chosen to identify the safer vehicle indicator. While seven indicators are selected to form the sub model of safer road-user behaviour. The chos...

Road accident due to overspeeding is a common occurrence in a developing nation such as Nigeria. Therefore, the need for a device capable of notifying a vehicle driver when the allowed speed limit of an area is exceeded arises. In this work, a microcontroller based automobile speed limiting device and alarm control system was designed and developed. The core components employed for the system design include Arduino Nano microcontroller, 1602 liquid crystal displays (LCD) module, light-emitting diodes (LEDs), buzzer, 18650 battery, I2C, infrared detectors and push buttons. Data gathering and circuit designs were implemented with microcontroller as focal point using suitable design models. Performance test was carried out on the developed system and the device's reading error was determined. The developed automobile speed limiting device and alarm control system was functional and performed satisfactorily during testing. The reading error of the device was evaluated as 5.83%. The developed speed limiting device, apart from being suitable and efficient for vehicle speed measurement, could also be deployed for general applications requiring speed measurement.

This work is focused on solving one of the major problems with respect to Indian Road Safety i.e. Accidents caused due to over speeding vehicles and reckless driving near accident prone areas like highways,hospitals,schools etc.Since the world is moving towards automation using latest technologies,this project is a small leap towards automated road safety measures.In this project,we have incorporated micro controller along with radio frequency identification system to limit the overspeeding of vehicles.The transmitter and receiver module helped us in automatic speed reduction of overspeeding vehicles to permissible limits once the vehicle is inside an accident prone area.Additionally,couple of more functions are going to be incorporated such as automatic braking of vehicle before zebra crossing when the signal is ON and GSM based penalty system for exceptional vehicles.Along with this,an alcohol sensor will also be installed to restrict drunk drivers from driving the vehicle.

The interaction between the motorized traffic and the non-motorized trips or the environment raises particular matters. The traffic calming methods are useful in alleviating the adverse effects of this interaction. While some of the warning methods leave to the ethics of the drivers whether they observe or not the limitations, the physical methods are more effective in enforcing the traffic rules observance. The reverse is denoted by increasing exhaust emissions. The paper presents a method to assess the vehicles emissions on road infrastructures equipped with traffic calming elements (speed humps, turnaround etc.), based on computer traffic simulation and pollutant emission factors. The VISSIM software is used in modeling transport infrastructure, traffic rules, vehicles flows (volume, composition) and to collect output data from computer simulation. The emissions are estimated based on the average speed models proposed by European Environment Agency in the Air Pollutant Emission Inventory Guidebook. The case-study proves the excess in vehicle emissions (CO2, CO, NOx, VOC) due to the presence of the traffic calming elements. The study urges traffic engineers, urban planners and local authorities to balance the positive aspects (traffic diverting, safety increasing) with the negative ones (exhaust emissions, noise) in applying the traffic calming elements.

A key issue in mobile robot applications involves building a map of the environment that may be used by the robot for path planning. In this paper, a new approach for uneven environment reconstruction based on the information supplied by a millimetre wave (MMW) radar has been proposed. The returned raw data from the MMW are stored in a database and then transferred to the CAD model, and represented as objects using an algorithm. The non-uniform rational B-splines have been used to extract the polygonal mesh decomposition equivalent to the 3D uneven environment and obstacle surfaces. The polygonal mesh decomposition helps to locate the different obstacles and to build the optimal path to reach the target starting from any initial position, by taking into consideration the terrain traversability. The optimal path is obtained by applying distance calculation method and speed limits. Indeed, the returned path is smooth which is a crucial performance consideration, especially for practical service robots.

Pavement marking legends are placed on the roadway to remind drivers of the speed limit or to slow down. Use of wording on the pavement surface is more dramatic than use of signing only, which can get lost in the clutter of a streetscape. On-pavement speed limit markings have been used to reinforce speed limits or to indicate a transition zone. For more on this topic by these authors, see also &quot;Evaluation of Dynamic Speed Feedback Signs on Curves: A National Demonstration Project&quot;: http://www.trb.org/main/blurbs/172092.aspx

Driving a vehicle is considered a demanding task in a complex dynamic environment. For instance, driving a vehicle on urban roads, where motorized vehicles meet vulnerable road users (VRUs) creates a multifaceted environment with difficult trade-offs and interactions. Additionally, in-vehicle technology developments are being introduced to ease drivers with the driving task. However, these developments are changing "traditional" driving increasing drivers' response in terms of information processing, thus making the driving task more demanding in some respects. Therefore, the aim of the present research is to further investigate drivers' speed choice under varying traffic management regulations and in-vehicle warning systems. Paper I is based on a follow-up study conducted in order to investigate the impact on drivers' speed choice of changing the posted speed limit (PSL) in urban areas. Speed choice is crucial due to conflicts between motorized traffic and VRUs. Extensive field studies were conducted changing the PSL of 50 km/h to 40 km/h or 60 km/h. Additionally, road characteristics were taken into account, thus analyzing the impact of different traffic management regulations and geometric characteristics. The results showed a speed threshold to introduce PSLs reductions. The largest impacts of PSL changes were observed on higher road network classes and speed choice was heavily influenced by several road characteristics. Paper II investigates the free-flow speed distribution in urban areas. A probabilistic approach is presented to distinguish free-flow vehicles from constrained vehicles on urban roads. A headway range was defined where the probability for a given vehicle to be constrained was estimated. A logit model was used to estimate the regime the driver was in. The results showed a crucial headway range between 4 and 7 seconds where the probability to be constrained dropped from approximately 90 to 10 percent. Paper III describes the impact of in-vehicle technologies on speed behaviour. The COOPERS I2V Cooperative System was evaluated at the aggregate level at various levels of traffic demand and penetration of the system. A factorial experimental study was conducted with two factors and three levels. Traffic performance indicators such as speed, density, delay and travel times were considered for evaluation purposes. The results showed that driving with the system was characterized by smoother speed decelerations. Meanwhile, traffic congestion reduced the impact of the system and higher penetration levels improved the traffic operation.

The purpose of this paper is to develop a mathematical model that could guide certain speed limits for vehicles on roads. Excessive speeds on roads have been a major indirect cause of deaths on highways due to the sudden impact of vehicles that lead to accidents. The model presented here is developed on a measure of impact force of two vehicles engaged in a head‐on collision. A hypothetical case study was investigated based on the impact of force on the human body. The results showed a variation of speed with occupation position distance. The paper also examines the role of seatbelt as a safety feature for vehicle occupants. Practically, developing a quantitative approach for evaluating the impacts of speed would help road regulatory authorities in reducing accidents and deaths on roads. It would also assist them in tracking “road traffic offenders” by setting controls to which road users must conform.

Road accident due to overspeeding is a common occurrence in a developing nation such as Nigeria. Therefore, the need for a device capable of notifying a vehicle driver when the allowed speed limit of an area is exceeded arises. In this work, a microcontroller based automobile speed limiting device and alarm control system was designed and developed. The core components employed for the system design include Arduino Nano microcontroller, 1602 liquid crystal displays (LCD) module, light-emitting diodes (LEDs), buzzer, 18650 battery, I2C, infrared detectors and push buttons. Data gathering and circuit designs were implemented with microcontroller as focal point using suitable design models. Performance test was carried out on the developed system and the device's reading error was determined. The developed automobile speed limiting device and alarm control system was functional and performed satisfactorily during testing. The reading error of the device was evaluated as 5.83%. The developed speed limiting device, apart from being suitable and efficient for vehicle speed measurement, could also be deployed for general applications requiring speed measurement.

In 2010, 51,664 crashes occurred in Nevada. Only about 9% of those crashes occurred in rural areas of the state. However, if only fatal crashes are considered, 41% of those fatal crashes occurred in rural areas. Generally, speed zones are provided in towns along rural highways to reduce speed-related crashes. However, a guideline is necessary for a consistent procedure to setup speed zones throughout the state. The main objectives of this study are to determine factors associated with crashes and to identify the best practices for setting up speed zones in towns along rural highways. Eleven towns along rural highways of Nevada were identified by the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) Technical Advisor Panel (TAP) for crash data analysis. Ten year of crash data for these towns were collected and analyzed. The result showed that the percentage of fatal crashes in these towns was 0.89% for 9 years. For all the rural areas in Nevada, the percentage of fatal crashes in 2010 was 2...

Speed is an important factor of road accidents. This paper focusses on changes and differences in speed of the traffic flow and on speed differences between different vehicles. Based on an international literature survey the relevance of the speed related factors for road safety are described. Road categorization and delineation of speed limit zones are identified as the most important tools to obtain a more homogeneous speed pattern. Based on a series of case studies including the different urbanization typologies, it is shown that regarding the implementation of these two planning concepts, little has been achieved in Flanders. The scattered and ribbon shaped urbanization along the secondary and local roads and the step by step adaptation of speed limits on road segments by the different road authorities, give rise to a manifest lack of homogeneity . Based on the Flemish Road Signs Database a quantitative analysis (e.g. relating to the length of segments, number of speed limit cha...

Results of a diagnostic load test and in-service monitoring of a steel through-girder bridge are presented. The bridge currently has a low load rating that is controlled by the flexural capacity of the steel deck trough. The diagnostic load test was conducted using the regularly scheduled transit trains, with no interruption to the daily service. A total of 16 strain transducers were mounted to the bridge girders and trough; five dynamic train passes were recorded. The largest tensile and compressive stresses recorded in the edge girder were 33.5 MPa and 23.4 MPa, respectively; the largest tensile and compressive stresses in the deck trough were 25.9 MPa and 27.9 MPa, respectively. The test results showed the effective width of the deck trough to be 2.89 m for a single axle and 5.19 m for a 2.74-m spaced axle pair. An in-service monitoring system was also placed on the bridge to record the stress cycles experienced by the bridge over a 1-week period. During the in-service monitoring...

Speed is one of the elements that most contributes to road fatality, and this explains the fact that it is often dealt with in the road safety field. The objective of this research was to understand the risk perception, attitude, and knowledge of the participants towards speeding and penalties for speeding. A sample of 1,100 Spanish drivers over 14 years old was used and they filled in a questionnaire. The average rate assessment of the risk of traffic crash was 8.3 (on a scale of 0 to 10). Participants would punish the speeding behaviour with great severity; an average of 8.2 on a scale of 0 to 10. Almost all participants (97.1%) agreed that speeding is a punishable behaviour. It is necessary to educate drivers to respect speed limits, to improve roads’ infrastructure, to establish appropriate speed limits, to put signs properly, to improve vehicle engineering, and to use in-vehicle devices to control speeding.

Speed is one of the elements that most contributes to road fatality, and this explains the fact that it is often dealt with in the road safety field. The objective of this research was to understand the risk perception, attitude, and knowledge of the participants towards speeding and penalties for speeding. A sample of 1,100 Spanish drivers over 14 years old was used and they filled in a questionnaire. The average rate assessment of the risk of traffic crash was 8.3 (on a scale of 0 to 10). Participants would punish the speeding behaviour with great severity; an average of 8.2 on a scale of 0 to 10. Almost all participants (97.1%) agreed that speeding is a punishable behaviour. It is necessary to educate drivers to respect speed limits, to improve roads’ infrastructure, to establish appropriate speed limits, to put signs properly, to improve vehicle engineering, and to use in-vehicle devices to control speeding.

Speed is one of the elements that most contributes to road fatality, and this explains the fact that it is often dealt with in the road safety field. The objective of this research was to understand the risk perception, attitude, and knowledge of the participants towards speeding and penalties for speeding. A sample of 1,100 Spanish drivers over 14 years old was used and they filled in a questionnaire. The average rate assessment of the risk of traffic crash was 8.3 (on a scale of 0 to 10). Participants would punish the speeding behaviour with great severity; an average of 8.2 on a scale of 0 to 10. Almost all participants (97.1%) agreed that speeding is a punishable behaviour. It is necessary to educate drivers to respect speed limits, to improve roads’ infrastructure, to establish appropriate speed limits, to put signs properly, to improve vehicle engineering, and to use in-vehicle devices to control speeding.

Background Small rural communities often lack the expertise and resources necessary to address speeding and the persistent challenge of slowing high-speed through traffic. The entrances to communities are especially problematic given that drivers must transition from a high-speed, often-rural roadway setting to a low-speed community setting. The rural roadway provides high-speed mobility outside the community, yet the same road within town provides local access and accommodates pedestrians of all ages, on-street parking, bicycles, and other features unique to the character of a small community. Drivers who have been traveling for some distance on the high-speed road, and are traveling through the community, may not receive the appropriate clues that the character of the roadway is changing and may not adjust their speeds appropriately. Addressing speeding issues is an even greater challenge given that smaller communities typically lack engineering staff and resources, which can lead

The present study explores the emotional, cognitive and behavioural responses of car drivers to various traffic penalty scenarios. A representative sample of 1237 car drivers was asked to report their probable emotions, perceived fairness and behavioural intentions in reaction to various traffic penalty scenarios. Respondents were asked to imagine being stopped for speeding, red light negation or handheld phone use, and receiving relatively high or low traffic fines, or receiving other sanctions than just fines. The analysis supported theoretical predictions that car drivers consider higher fines as less fair and that these evoke stronger emotions of anger, shame and tension. This was the case for all three violations studied: speeding, red light negation, and handheld phone use while driving. In accordance with theoretical predictions, the study found that the stronger the emotion, the higher the perceived general fairness of the sanction system and the higher the perceived specifi...

Speed is one of the elements that most contributes to road fatality, and this explains the fact that it is often dealt with in the road safety field. The objective of this research was to understand the risk perception, attitude, and knowledge of the participants towards speeding and penalties for speeding. A sample of 1,100 Spanish drivers over 14 years old was used and they filled in a questionnaire. The average rate assessment of the risk of traffic crash was 8.3 (on a scale of 0 to 10). Participants would punish the speeding behaviour with great severity; an average of 8.2 on a scale of 0 to 10. Almost all participants (97.1%) agreed that speeding is a punishable behaviour. It is necessary to educate drivers to respect speed limits, to improve roads&#39; infrastructure, to establish appropriate speed limits, to put signs properly, to improve vehicle engineering, and to use in-vehicle devices to control speeding.

Research shows that vehicle speed affects the severity of all road crashes. Higher speed crashes involve more kinetic energy: the more energy that is dispersed in a crash, the more severe that crash will be. Speed also affects the likelihood of a crash occurring in the first place. The likelihood of a serious or fatal crash increases significantly even with small increases in vehicle speed. Field studies demonstrate that a one percent increase in mean average speeds results in a roughly two percent increase in the frequency of crashes involving injury, a three percent increase in severe crashes, and a four percent increase in deaths. The safety of infrastructure is heavily influenced by traffic speed, to the extent that without a detailed understanding of speed limits and vehicle operating speeds, it is difficult to assess the safety performance of infrastructure at a given location. This report seeks to highlight the central role of speed management in the Safe System approach and ...

Safer speeds are recognised as an integral tool in reducing road trauma, also they are a key pillar of the Safe System philosophy. The current national guidance on speed limits recognises this at the conceptual level but the approach for practical implementation has not been developed to date. This paper aims to stimulate discussion around the emerging concept of setting speed limits on basis of severe crash risk (fatal and serious injury outcomes). It draws on recent Austroads research to propose several alternative approaches based on crash history, assessment of inherent crash risk due to the road environment, or both. The presented approaches also recognise the intended road function within the network as an indicator of the mobility level expected by the public. The paper explores the possible application of established network-level risk assessment tools such as AusRAP in risk-based approach to speed limits.

The present study explores the emotional, cognitive and behavioural responses of car drivers to various traffic penalty scenarios. A representative sample of 1237 car drivers was asked to report their probable emotions, perceived fairness and behavioural intentions in reaction to various traffic penalty scenarios. Respondents were asked to imagine being stopped for speeding, red light negation or handheld phone use, and receiving relatively high or low traffic fines, or receiving other sanctions than just fines. The analysis supported theoretical predictions that car drivers consider higher fines as less fair and that these evoke stronger emotions of anger, shame and tension. This was the case for all three violations studied: speeding, red light negation, and handheld phone use while driving. In accordance with theoretical predictions, the study found that the stronger the emotion, the higher the perceived general fairness of the sanction system and the higher the perceived specific penalty fairness, the stronger the intention to drive more carefully. For each of the three different violations, penalty severity and sanction type affected emotions and perceived fairness in the theorized direction. Contrary to theoretical expectation, no effect was found on behavioural intention, although both emotions and fairness were found to predict behavioural intention. Thus, the study confirmed previous research by showing the importance of perceived fairness in regulating intentions to improve behaviour upon rule violations. Of the three sanction types, a recorded warning resulted in weaker emotions and more perceived penalty fairness, but it did not influence behavioural intention. This leads to the question how the relationship between these variables should be understood, and, more specifically, why emotions and fairness were influenced while behavioural intention remained constant. The discussion offers further theoretical explanations.

Over the past decades, road safety in highly-motorised countries has made significant progress. Although we have a fair understanding of the reasons for this progress, we don't have conclusive evidence for this. A new generation of road safety management approaches has entered road safety, starting when countries decided to guide themselves by setting quantitative targets (e.g. 50% less casualties in ten years' time). Setting realistic targets, designing strategies and action plans to achieve these targets and monitoring progress have resulted in more scientific research to support decision-making on these topics. Three subjects are key in this new approach of evidence-based and data-driven road safety management: ex-post and ex-ante evaluation of both individual interventions and intervention packages in road safety strategies, and transferability (external validity) of the research results. In this article, we explore these subjects based on recent experiences in four jurisdictions (Western Australia, the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland). All four apply similar approaches and tools; differences are considered marginal. It is concluded that policy-making and political decisions were influenced to a great extent by the results of analysis and research. Nevertheless, to compensate for a relatively weak theoretical basis and to improve the power of this new approach, a number of issues will need further research. This includes ex-post and ex-ante evaluation, a better understanding of extrapolation of historical trends and the transferability of research results. This new approach cannot be realized without high-quality road safety data. Good data and knowledge are indispensable for this new and very promising approach.

This report presents four major methodologies and practices that are utilized to establish speed limits. These are optimization, expert systems, injury minimization, and the engineering approach. It also looks at legal factors regarding speed limits and provides case studies that describe speed limit setting on different types of roads. The report also offers detailed information on speed safety, design of speed limit signs, data collection for speed studies, enforcement of speed limits, and placement of speed limit signs.

Background Small rural communities often lack the expertise and resources necessary to address speeding and the persistent challenge of slowing high-speed through traffic. The entrances to communities are especially problematic given that drivers must transition from a high-speed, often-rural roadway setting to a low-speed community setting. The rural roadway provides high-speed mobility outside the community, yet the same road within town provides local access and accommodates pedestrians of all ages, on-street parking, bicycles, and other features unique to the character of a small community. Drivers who have been traveling for some distance on the high-speed road, and are traveling through the community, may not receive the appropriate clues that the character of the roadway is changing and may not adjust their speeds appropriately. Addressing speeding issues is an even greater challenge given that smaller communities typically lack engineering staff and resources, which can lead