01123027

Component

This paper compares the effects of four speed reduction techniques on the speed of vehicles in a moderate and an excessive speeding work zone (both on interstate highways). The techniques were using a speed Trailer, a Police car, a speed Trailer plus a Police car, and an automated Speed Photo-radar Enforcement (SPE) van. The effects on the mean speed and degree of speeding were studied at the location the treatment was implemented. The results of this research showed that in both moderately and extensively speeding sites all forms of law enforcement treatments reduced the mean speeds and speeding significantly. In the moderate-speeding site, Trailer+Police reduced the mean speeds more than the other treatments in both lanes. It reduced the mean speed of free flowing cars in median lane by 8.4 down to 48.6 mph while the other law enforcement treatments reduced it by 6.1 – 6.4 mph. In the extensive-speeding work zone, Trailer+Police and the SPE reduced the mean speeds similarly and more than Police as they reduced the mean speeds in the median lane by 7.8 mph down to 55.9 mph. In terms of speeding and excessive speeding (speeding by more than 5 mph), in the moderate-speeding site, Trailer + Police was more effective than the other treatments. But in the extensive-speeding site, all the law enforcement methods were similarly effective in reducing the speeding; however, 11% to 16% free flowing cars were still excessively speeding in median lane.

01120148

09-3651

English

13p

2009

Transportation Research Board 88th Annual Meeting

DVD

Figures (3) ; References (14) ; Tables (3)

Police patrol; Radar; Safety; Speed limits; Traffic law enforcement; Traffic speed; Work zone safety; Work zone traffic control

Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2009 Paper #09-3651

TRIS, TRB

Jan 30 2009 8:04PM