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Title: FREEWAY SPEED ZONES: SAFETY AND COMPLIANCE ISSUES
Accession Number: 00732476
Record Type: Component
Record URL: Availability: Transportation Research Board Business Office 500 Fifth Street, NW Find a library where document is available Abstract: The effectiveness and appropriateness of establishing speed limits on freeways and the spatial extent of the zones were studied. Of particular interest were 55-mph (88 km/hr) speed zones that exist in the transition between urban and rural areas (determined according to urban area boundaries). Three types of freeway segments (urban-55, fringe-55, and rural-65) were analyzed, and although the study was of comparatively small scale, the results generally showed that higher speeds do not lead to more numerous or serious accidents. Moreover, compliance with speed limits is not necessarily a good measure of safety. On the other hand, motorists are self-policing to a certain degree in that they drive at reasonable speeds given the design of the different types of freeways. It is suggested that artificially lowered speed limits without a clear need being established from engineering and safety perspectives will not yield impressive safety benefits.
Supplemental Notes: This paper appears in Transportation Research Record No. 1560, Traffic and Highway Safety: Occupant Restraints, Safety Management, and Emergency and Commercial Vehicles.
Language: English
Corporate Authors: Transportation Research Board 500 Fifth Street, NW Authors: Thronton, MLyles, Richard WPagination: p. 65-72
Publication Date: 1996
Serial: ISBN: 0309059542
Features: References
(8)
; Tables
(7)
TRT Terms: Uncontrolled Terms: Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Safety and Human Factors; I73: Traffic Control
Files: TRIS, TRB
Created Date: Feb 25 1997 12:00AM
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