MODULE 5
SPEED
MANAGEMENT
EBRD Road Safety Engineering
E-learning Package
SPEED AND ROAD
FATALITIES
SPEED AND ROAD
FATALITIES
Impact
speeds
above which
the risk of
death
escalates
From WHO World Report on road traffic injury prevention, 2004
SPEED AND ROAD
FATALITIES
Impact
speeds for
different
crash types
above which
the risk of
death
escalates
DIFFERENT APPROACHES
TO SPEED
• Design Speed – The speed
underpinning the design of the
road
• Speed Limit – The legal maximum
road speed
• Operating Speed – The speed at
which most drivers actually drive
• Safe Speed – The speed that is
safe for particular road conditions
DIFFERENT APPROACHES
TO SPEED
• Design Speed – The speed
underpinning the design of the
road
• Speed Limit – The legal maximum
road speed
• Operating Speed – The speed at
which most drivers actually drive
• Safe Speed – The speed that is
safe for particular road conditions
DIFFERENT APPROACHES
TO SPEED
• Design Speed – The speed
underpinning the design of the
road
• Speed Limit – The legal maximum
road speed
• Operating Speed – The speed at
which most drivers actually drive
• Safe Speed – The speed that is
safe for particular road conditions
DIFFERENT APPROACHES
TO SPEED
• Design Speed – The speed
underpinning the design of the
road
• Speed Limit – The legal maximum
road speed
• Operating Speed – The speed at
which most drivers actually drive
• Safe Speed – The speed that is
safe for particular road conditions
THE IMPORTANCE OF ROAD
ENGINEERING TO SPEED
Design standards and
design speeds - do not
guarantee a road is “safe”.
When operating speeds
are excessive and
inappropriate, a driver
does not have time to react
adequately to danger
WHO: MANAGING SPEED
The World
Health Roads with possible conflicts between 30 km/h
Organization cars and unprotected users
recommends
Intersections with possible side-on 50 km/h
different
conflicts between cars
maximum
speeds for Roads with possible frontal conflicts 70 km/h
different types of between cars
road
Roads with no likelihood of frontal or > 100
side-on conflicts between road users km/hr
Source: Tingvall and Haworth, 1999
WHO: MANAGING SPEED
The World
Health Roads with possible conflicts between 30 km/h
Organization cars and unprotected users
recommends
Intersections with possible side-on 50 km/h
different
conflicts between cars
maximum
speeds for Roads with possible frontal conflicts 70 km/h
different types of between cars
road
Roads with no likelihood of frontal or > 100
side-on conflicts between road users km/hr
Source: Tingvall and Haworth, 1999
WHO: MANAGING SPEED
The World
Health Roads with possible conflicts between 30 km/h
Organization cars and unprotected users
recommends
Intersections with possible side-on 50 km/h
different
conflicts between cars
maximum
speeds for Roads with possible frontal conflicts 70 km/h
different types of between cars
road
Roads with no likelihood of frontal or > 100
side-on conflicts between road users km/hr
Source: Tingvall and Haworth, 1999
WHO: MANAGING SPEED
The World
Health Roads with possible conflicts between 30 km/h
Organization cars and unprotected users
recommends
Intersections with possible side-on 50 km/h
different
conflicts between cars
maximum
speeds for Roads with possible frontal conflicts 70 km/h
different types of between cars
road
Roads with no likelihood of frontal or > 100
side-on conflicts between road users km/hr
Source: Tingvall and Haworth, 1999
WHO: MANAGING SPEED
The World
Health Roads with possible conflicts between 30 km/h
Organization cars and unprotected users
recommends
Intersections with possible side-on 50 km/h
different
conflicts between cars
maximum
speeds for Roads with possible frontal conflicts 70 km/h
different types of between cars
road
Roads with no likelihood of frontal or > 100
side-on conflicts between road users km/hr
Source: Tingvall and Haworth, 1999
MANAGEMENT OF
OPERATING SPEEDS
A shared responsibility:
• Legislators and policy makers
• Engineers
• Traffic Police
• Public awareness campaigns and
Driver education
• In-vehicle technologies
MANAGEMENT OF
OPERATING SPEEDS
A shared responsibility:
• Legislators and policy makers
• Engineers
• Traffic Police
• Public awareness campaigns and
Driver education
• In-vehicle technologies
MANAGEMENT OF
OPERATING SPEEDS
A shared responsibility:
• Legislators and policy makers
• Engineers
• Traffic Police
• Public awareness campaigns and
Driver education
• In-vehicle technologies
SPEED: SELF-EXPLAINING
AND FORGIVING ROADS
• Self Explaining Roads:
help road users avoid
errors – warning,
informing and guiding
them
• Forgiving Roads: when
drivers have made
errors, help them
maintain control of the
vehicle and avoid
impacts
MANAGEMENT OF
OPERATING SPEEDS
A shared responsibility:
• Legislators and policy makers
• Engineers
• Traffic Police
• Public awareness campaigns and
Driver education
• In-vehicle technologies
MANAGEMENT OF
OPERATING SPEEDS
A shared responsibility:
• Legislators and policy makers
• Engineers
• Traffic Police
• Public awareness campaigns and
Driver education
• In-vehicle technologies
MANAGEMENT OF
OPERATING SPEEDS
A shared responsibility:
• Legislators and policy makers
• Engineers
• Traffic Police
• Public awareness campaigns and
Driver education
• In-vehicle technologies
BOUNDARY BETWEEN RURAL
AND URBAN ROADS
Countries with effective land use planning controls distinguish
between rural and urban zones for development.
Here the boundary where rural turns to urban is quite clear.
STRIP DEVELOPMENT
In countries with less effective land use controls, development
sites locate along major roads for easy vehicle access. This
results in “strip development”, with each site having direct
access onto the main road.
SPEED MANAGEMENT
TECHNIQUES: SPEED LIMITS
SPEED LIMITS
SPEED MANAGEMENT
TECHNIQUES:
VERTICAL DEFLECTION
Restricting vehicle speeds by “vertical deflection”:
For example, raised speed humps.
SPEED HUMPS
Speed humps should not be used on major – high speed – roads.
Source: The Global Street Design Guide, NACTO
SPEED HUMPS
In some countries, local communities have even built their
own due to frustration at high speeds.
SPEED HUMPS
• 100mm high
• with shaped approach ramps.
SPEED HUMPS
Must be marked and signed adequately.
SPEED CUSHIONS
Source: The Global Street Design Guide, NACTO
SPEED HUMPS FLAT-
TOPPED FOR PEDESTRIANS
SPEED MANAGEMENT
TECHNIQUES:
ROUNDABOUTS
SPEED MANAGEMENT
TECHNIQUES: TRAFFIC
CALMING
SPEED MANAGEMENT
TECHNIQUES:
GATEWAY TREATMENTS
“Gateway treatment”, used most effectively to change
vehicle speeds and driver behaviour at rural/urban
boundaries.
Source: The Global Street Design Guide, NACTO
GATEWAY TREATMENTS
• Large sign boards, with yellow backing
• speed limit sign, both sides of road
• no-overtaking sign, with subsequent continuous centreline
• town or village name
SPEED MANAGEMENT
TECHNIQUES:
VEHICLE-ACTUATED
WARNING SIGNS
SPEED MANAGEMENT
TECHNIQUES: TRAFFIC
POLICE ENFORCEMENT
Speed camera enforcement by police:
mobile speed cameras.
TRAFFIC POLICE
ENFORCEMENT
Permanent speed cameras can be
installed at the roadside.
SUMMARY
• The probability of death increases rapidly with higher speeds.
• Different approaches to speed: Design Speed, Speed Limit,
Operating Speed and Safe Speed.
• The WHO recommends different maximum speeds for different
road environments.
• Managing speed is fundamental to road safety, and road
engineering is fundamental to speed management.
• Two important concepts when managing speed: Self-explaining
roads and Forgiving roads.
• Management of operating speeds is a shared responsibility
• Speed Management Techniques: Speed Limits, Vertical Deflection,
Speed Humps, Speed Cushions, Speed Tables, Gateway
Treatments, Vehicle-actuated warning signs and Traffic Police
Enforcement.
IN THE NEXT MODULE:
FORGIVING CROSS-
SECTIONS AND ROADSIDES
MODULE 5
SPEED
MANAGEMENT
EBRD Road Safety Engineering
E-learning Package