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The first person to be convicted of speeding is believed to be Walter Arnold of [[East Peckham]], Kent, who on 28 January 1896 was fined for speeding at {{convert|8|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}. He was fined 1 [[£sd|shilling]] plus costs.<ref name="NatMotMuseum">{{cite web|url=http://www.nationalmotormuseum.org.uk/motoring_firsts|publisher=National Motoring Museum|title=Motoring firsts}}</ref><ref name="BBC R4">{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00cmb4q|work=BBC Radio 4|title=The Eureka Years|author=Adam Hart Davis}}</ref><ref name="AllExp">{{cite web|url=http://en.allexperts.com/q/U-S-History-672/criminal-justice-history.htm|title=US History, Criminal Justice, The first speeding ticket}}</ref>
The first person to be convicted of speeding is believed to be Walter Arnold of [[East Peckham]], Kent, who on 28 January 1896 was fined for speeding at {{convert|8|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}. He was fined 1 [[£sd|shilling]] plus costs.<ref name="NatMotMuseum">{{cite web|url=http://www.nationalmotormuseum.org.uk/motoring_firsts|publisher=National Motoring Museum|title=Motoring firsts}}</ref><ref name="BBC R4">{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00cmb4q|work=BBC Radio 4|title=The Eureka Years|author=Adam Hart Davis}}</ref><ref name="AllExp">{{cite web|url=http://en.allexperts.com/q/U-S-History-672/criminal-justice-history.htm|title=US History, Criminal Justice, The first speeding ticket}}</ref>

It is believed that the original 30MPH limit was set to reduce the interaction between horse drawn traffic and motorized in towns.
Further it is without contest that the 70 limit was set up to reduce overtaking, and the 85% rule of the maximum of the cars of the day, Morris Minor, Triumph Herald and motorcycles. It is now therefore sensible to ask if speed limits should be raised unless a suitable reason for reduced limit can be found. Whilst slow speeds reduce accidents, one must ask if tanks with moped engines are relly the answer.
Certainly one again must ask, that if vehicles get quieter, that the economic speed is higher, that the pollution rates conflict often with reduced speed whether


==Regulations==
==Regulations==

Revision as of 21:46, 18 March 2013

This article is about road speed limits. For speed of light, see special relativity. For road speed limits in specific countries, see Speed limits by country.
A typical 60 km/h speed limit sign used in Australia
A typical speed limit sign in the United States showing a 50 mph restriction.

Road speed limits are used in most countries to regulate the speed of road vehicles. Speed limits may define maximum (which may be variable), minimum or no speed limit and are normally indicated using a traffic sign. Speed limits are commonly set by the legislative bodies of nations or provincial governments and enforced by national or regional police and / or judicial bodies.

The first maximum speed limit was the 10 mph (16 km/h) limit introduced in the United Kingdom in 1861. From 2005 to 2010, the highest posted speed limit was 160 km/h (99 mph) in Abu Dhabi,[1][2] although this was reduced to 140 km/h (87 mph) in 2011.[3][4] However, some roads have no speed limit for certain classes of vehicles. Best known are Germany's less congested Autobahns where automobile drivers have no mandated maximum speed. Measurements from the German State of Brandenburg in 2006 show average speeds of 137 km/h (85 mph) on 4-lane sections, and 142 km/h (88 mph) on 6-lane sections, without mandatory speed limits.[5][6][7] Rural areas on the Isle of Man,[8] the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh[9] and Maharashtra[10] also lack speed limits, but speeds are lower when measured on those lower design roads.

Speed limits are usually set to attempt to cap road traffic speed; there are several reasons for wanting to do this. It is often done with an intention to improve road traffic safety and reduce the number of road traffic casualties from traffic collisions. In their World report on road traffic injury prevention report, the World Health Organization (WHO) identify speed control as one of various interventions likely to contribute to a reduction in road casualties. (The WHO estimated that some 1.2 million people were killed and 50 million injured on the roads around the world in 2004.)[n 1] Speed limits may also be set in an attempt to reduce the environmental impact of road traffic (vehicle noise, vibration, emissions), and to satisfy local community wishes. Some cities have reduced limits to as little as 30 km/h (19 mph) for both safety and efficiency reasons.[11]

In situations where the natural road speed is considered too high, notably on urban areas where speed limits below 50 km/h (31 mph) are used then traffic calming is often also used. For some classes of vehicle speed limiters may be mandated to enforce compliance.

Since they have been introduced, speed limits have been opposed from various sources; including motoring advocacy groups, anti-motoring groups and others who either consider them to be irrelevant, set too low or set too high.

History

Antique New Hampshire speed limit sign.

The first speed limit legislation was created in the United Kingdom by a series of Locomotive Acts (1861, 1865 and 1878); the 1861 Act introduced a UK speed limit of 10 mph (16 km/h) on open roads in town, reduced to 2 mph (3 km/h) in towns and 4 mph (6 km/h) in rural areas by the 1865 'red flag act'. The Locomotives on Highways Act 1896, which raised the speed limit 14 mph (being the estimated speed of a horse being driven 'furiously') is celebrated to this day by the annual London to Brighton Veteran Car Run.

The first person to be convicted of speeding is believed to be Walter Arnold of East Peckham, Kent, who on 28 January 1896 was fined for speeding at 8 mph (13 km/h). He was fined 1 shilling plus costs.[12][13][14] 

It is believed that the original 30MPH limit was set to reduce the interaction between horse drawn traffic and motorized in towns.
Further it is without contest that the 70 limit was set up to reduce overtaking, and the 85% rule of the maximum of the cars of the day, Morris Minor, Triumph Herald and motorcycles. It is now therefore sensible to ask if speed limits should be raised unless a suitable reason for  reduced limit can be found. Whilst slow speeds reduce accidents, one must ask if tanks with moped engines are relly the answer.
Certainly one again must ask, that if vehicles get quieter, that the economic speed is higher, that the pollution rates conflict often with reduced speed whether

Regulations

Speed limit sign in Germany, showing a 60 km/h restriction. Signs in other European countries are similar but have a different font and size.
Speed limits on European Motorways in km/h.

All[citation needed] countries use metric units (kilometres per hour), except for the United States and the United Kingdom, where speed limits are given in miles per hour.

Basic rule: reasonable speed

Drivers are required to drive at a safe speed for conditions. In the United States, this requirement is referred to as the basic rule,[15] but more generally in Britain and elsewhere in common law as the reasonable man requirement.[16] The reasonable speed may be lower than the posted speed limit in conditions such as fog, heavy rain, ice, snow, gravel, or sharp corners.[17] California Vehicle Code section 22350 is typical; it states that "No person shall drive a vehicle upon a highway at a speed greater than is reasonable... and in no event at a speed which endangers the safety of persons or property".[18]

Maximum speed limits

Most public roads in most countries have a legally assigned numerical maximum speed limit which applies on all roads unless otherwise stated; lower speed limits are often shown on a sign at the start of the restricted section, although the presence of streetlights or the physical arrangement of the road may sometimes also be used instead. A posted speed limit may only apply to that road or to all roads beyond the sign that defines them depending on local laws. In the European Union, large signposts showing the national (default) speed limits of the respective country are usually erected immediately after border crossings, with a repeater sign some 200 to 500 m (660 to 1,640 ft) after the first sign. Some places provide an additional "speed zone ahead" ahead of the restriction and speed limit reminder signs may appear at regular intervals which may be painted on the road surface.

Signs are normally placed on both sides of the road and in some places there are small (less than 1/4 the size of the sign) rectangular orange reflector flags attached to both upper right corners of both signs. The speed limit sign marking the new speed zone may also have the orange flags.

Signage in many countries, especially in Europe, conforms to the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals using black text with a red circle on a white background.

In the United States, the signs are usually rectangular with the words "SPEED LIMIT" and the values in black on a white background. The U.S. Federal Highway Administration's Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices provides guidelines for the appearance of speed limit signs. In Alaska and California, speed limits are often labeled "MAXIMUM SPEED" instead. In Oregon, most speed limit signs just say "SPEED" and the number. Canada has similar signs bearing the legend "MAXIMUM" and in km/h instead of mph. "Maximum" is used instead of "Speed Limit" because it has similar meanings in English and French. Australian signs are rectangular but have a red circle like the Vienna Convention signs.[19]

The speed limit is commonly set at or below the '85th percentile speed' (which is the speed at which 85% of the traffic is travelling)[20] and in the USA is typically set 8 to 12 mph (13 to 19 km/h) below that speed.[21]

Posted maximum speeds are normally based on ideal driving conditions.[citation needed]

Minimum speed limits

Some roads also have "minimum speed limits", where slow speeds can impede traffic flow or be dangerous[22] and on motorways, slower vehicles such as horse drawn vehicles, bicycles and mopeds can be banned, e.g. in the United Kingdom.[23]

Signs often use blue circles based on the obligatory signs of the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals. A Japanese minimum speed sign has the same design as a maximum speed sign, but with a horizontal line below the number. In the United States of America, they are also identical to their respective maximum speed limit signs with the exception of the text "MINIMUM SPEED".

Variable speed limits

Example variable speed limit sign in the United States.

In 1965, the first known experiments with variable speed limit signs took place on a 30 km stretch of German motorway A8 between Munich and the border city of Salzburg, Austria. Mechanically variable message signs could display speeds of 60, 80 and 100 km/h, "danger zone" or "accident". Personnel monitored traffic using video technology, and manually controlled the signage.[24] Beginning in the 1970s, additional advanced traffic control systems were put into service. Modern motorway control systems can work without human intervention using various types of sensors to measure traffic flow and weather conditions. In 2009, 1,300 km (810 mi) of German motorways were equipped with such systems.[25]

In the late 1960s, heavily-traveled portions of the New Jersey Turnpike began using variable speed limit signs, in combination with variable message signs. Officials can adjust the speed limit according to weather, traffic conditions, and construction.[26] More typically, variable speed limits are used on remote stretches of highway in the United States in areas with extreme changes in driving conditions.[1] For example, variable limits were introduced in Oct 2010 on a 52-mile stretch of Interstate 80 in Wyoming, replacing the winter season speed reduction from 75 to 65-mph that had been in place since 2008.[27][28] Similarly, Interstate 90 at Snoqualmie Pass and other mountain passes in Washington State variable speed limits are used to slow traffic in severe winter weather.[2] [29] A response to fog-induced chain-reaction collisions involving 99 vehicles in 1990, a variable speed limit system covering 19 miles (31 km) of Interstate 75 in Tennessee was implemented in fog-prone areas around the Hiwassee River.[30]

A variable speed limit was introduced on part of Britain's M25 motorway in 1995 (on the busiest 14-mile (23 km) section from junction 10 to 16). Initial results suggested savings in journey times, smoother-flowing traffic, as well as a fall in the number of crashes and the scheme was made permanent in 1997.[31] However a 2004 National Audit Organization report noted that the business case was unproved; conditions at the site of the Variable Speed Limits trial were not stable before or during the trial, and the study was deemed neither properly controlled nor reliable. From December 2008 the upgraded section of the M1 between the M25 and Luton will have the facility for variable speed limits.[32] In January 2010 temporary variable speed cameras on the M1 between J25 and J28 were made permanent.[33]

New Zealand introduced variable speed limits in February 2001. The first installation was on the Ngauranga Gorge section of dual carriageway on State Highway 1 with steep terrain, numerous bends, high traffic volumes, and higher than average accident rate. The speed limit is normally 80 km/h.[34]

In 2006, Austria undertook a short term experiment with a variable limit configuration that could increase statutory limits under the most favorable conditions, as well as reduce them. In June, a stretch of motorway was configured with variable speed limits could increase the general Austrian motorway limit of 130 kilometres per hour (81 mph) to 160 kilometres per hour (99 mph).[35] Then Austrian Transport Minister Hubert Gorbach called the experiment "a milestone in European transport policy-despite all predictions to the contrary"; however, the experiment was discontinued.

Roads without speed limits

German border crossing sign showing 50 km/h (31 mph) limit in built-up areas, 100 km/h (62 mph) in rural areas, but only an advisory 130 km/h (81 mph) limit for the Autobahn

Many roads without a maximum limit became permanently limited following the 1973 oil crisis. For example, Switzerland had no maximum restriction prior to 1973 on motorways and rural roads, but imposed a temporary 100 km/h (62 mph) maximum limit in quick response to higher fuel prices; the limit on motorways was increased to 130 km/h (81 mph) later in 1974.[36]

Montana and Nevada were the last remaining U.S. states relying exclusively on the basic rule, without a specific, numeric rural speed limit prior to the National Maximum Speed Law of 1974.[37] After repeal of Federal speed mandates in 1996, Montana was the only state to revert to rural daytime speed limit, beyond the Basic Rule. After the Montana Supreme Court decided that the Basic Rule was too vague and therefore violated the due process requirement of the Montana Constitution,[38] Montana's legislature imposed a 75 mph (121 km/h) limit on rural freeways in 1999, although the same wording in the basic rule remains.

Australia's Northern Territory had no blanket speed limits outside major towns until January 2007 when a general rural speed limit of 110 km/h (68 mph) was introduced; four major highway have higher 130 km/h (81 mph) zones.[39] The per-capita fatality rate in 2006 was the highest in the OECD and twice the Australian average.[40] In 2009, the opposition party unsuccessfully sought the removal of the 130 km/h limits on three out of the four highways where it applied, arguing that total fatalities in the Northern Territory had increased significantly during the first two years of the speed limit. In argument against the motion, the government provided more detailed statistics than normally published, these statistics showed a reduction in fatalities along the highways where 130 km/h limits were introduced.[41][42][43] In 2011 the opposition argued for a return to "open speed limits". .[44] For the 2012 election the Country Liberals' transport policy promised an evidence based approach; [45] after having won, de-restriction of Stuart Highway was considered.[46]

The Isle of Man has no speed limit on many rural roads; a 2004 proposal to introduce a general speed limits 60 mph and of 70 mph on Mountain Road for safety reasons were not progressed following consultation. [8] Measured travel speeds on the island are relatively low.[47]

As of 2008, 52% of the German autobahns have only advisory limits (Richtgeschwindigkeit), 15% have temporary speed limits due to weather or traffic conditions and 33% have permanent speed limits.[48] The length of speed-unrestricted autobahns slowly expanded after the opening of the East German borders in November 1989. Travel speeds are not regularly monitored in Germany; however, a 2008 report noted that on the autobahn in Niemegk (between Leipzig and Berlin) "significantly more than 60% of road users exceed 130 km/h (81 mph). More than 30% of motorists exceed 150 km/h (93 mph)".[49] Prior to German reunification in 1990, accident reduction programs in eastern German states were primarily focused on restrictive traffic regulation. Within two years after the opening, availability of high-powered vehicles and a 54% increase in motorized traffic led to a doubling of annual traffic deaths, despite "interim arrangements [which] involved the continuation of the speed limit of 100 km/h (62 mph) on autobahns and of 80 km/h (50 mph) outside cities. An extensive program of the four Es (enforcement, education, engineering, and emergency response) brought the number of traffic deaths back to pre-unification levels after ten years while traffic regulations were raised to western standards (e.g., 130 km/h (81 mph) freeway advisory limit, 100 km/h (62 mph) on other rural roads, and 0.5 milligrams BAC) .[50]

Enforcement

Gatso speed camera
Main article: Speed limit enforcement

Speed limit enforcement is the action taken by appropriately empowered authorities to check that road vehicles are complying with the speed limit. Methods used include roadside speed traps set up and operated by the police and automated roadside speed camera systems, which may incorporate the use of an automatic number plate recognition system.

Effectiveness

A 2003 review of speed limits for British Columbia (Canada) identified a number of studies into the effects of reductions in speed limits and the observed changes in speeding, fatalities, injuries and property damage which followed:[n 2]

Results from lowering speed limits.[n 2]
Country Speed limit reduction Reported change
Australia 110 km/h to 100 km/h Injury crashes declined by 19%
Australia 5–20 km/h decreases No significant change
Denmark 60 km/h to 50 km/h Fatal crashes declined by 24%
Injury crashes declined by 9%
Germany 60 km/h to 50 km/h Crashes declined by 20%
Sweden 110 km/h to 90 km/h Speeds declined by 14 km/h
Fatal crashes declined by 21%
Switzerland 130 km/h to 120 km/h Speeds declined by 5 km/h
Fatal crashes declined by 12%
UK 60 mph to 40 mph Speeds declined by 4 mph
Crashes declined by 14%
USA (22 states) 5 mph to 15 mph (8 km/h to 24 km/h) decreases No significant changes
Results from increasing speed limits:[n 2]
Country Speed limit increase Reported change
Australia 100 km/h to 110 km/h Injury crashes increased by 25%
Australia (Victoria) 5–20 km/h increases Crashes increased overall by 8%, 35% decline in zones raised from 60 km/h to 80 km/h
USA 55 mph to 65 mph (89 km/h to 105 km/h) Fatal crashes increased by 21%
USA 55 mph to 65 mph (89 km/h to 105 km/h) Fatal crashes increased by 22%
Speeding increased by 48%
USA (40 states) 55 mph to 65 mph (89 km/h to 105 km/h) Fatalities increased by 15%
Decrease or no effect in 12 States
USA (Iowa) 55 mph to 65 mph (89 km/h to 105 km/h) Fatal crashes increased by 36%
USA (Michigan) 55 mph to 65 mph (89 km/h to 105 km/h) Fatal and injury crashes increased significantly on rural freeways
USA (Michigan) Various No significant changes
USA (Ohio) 55 mph to 65 mph (89 km/h to 105 km/h) Injury and property damage increased but not fatal crashes.[51]
USA (40 states) 55 mph to 65 mph (89 km/h to 105 km/h) Statewide fatality rates decreased 3-5% (Significant in 14 of 40 states)
USA (22 states) 5 mph to 15 mph (8 km/h to 24 km/h) increase No significant changes

Annual surveys of speed on South Dakota Interstate roads show that from 2000 to 2011, the average speed rose from 71 to 74 mph; South Dakota increased its maximum speed limit from 65 to 75 mph (120 km/h) in 1996.[52]

The Synthesis of Safety Research Related to Speed and Speed Limits report sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration published in 1998 found that changing speed limits on low and moderate speed roads appeared to have no significant effect on traffic speed or the number of crashes, whilst on high-speed roads such as freeways, increased speed limits generally resulted in higher traffic speeds and more crashes. It is also stated that there is limited evidence to suggest that speed limits have a positive effect on a system wide basis.[n 3]

Research in 1998 showed that the reduction of some 30 mph (48 km/h) United Kingdom speed limits to 20 mph (32 km/h) had achieved only a 1 mph drop in speeds and no discernible reduction in accidents; '20 mph speed limit zones' which use self enforcing traffic calming achieved average speed reductions of 10 mph, child pedestrian accidents were reduced by 70% and child cyclist accidents by 48%.[53]

Zones where speeds are set at 30 kph (or 20 mph) are gaining popularity [54] as they are found to be effective at reducing crashes and increasing community cohesion.[55]

Studies undertaken in conjunction with Australia's move from 60 km/h (37 mph) speed limits to 50 km/h (31 mph) in built-up areas and found that the measure was effective in reducing speed and also the frequency and severity of crashes.[56]

A study of the impact of the replacement of 60 km/h (37 mph) with 50 km/h (31 mph) speed limits in New South Wales, Australia showed only a 0.5 km/h drop in urban areas and a 0.7 km/h drop in rural areas. The report noted that widespread community compliance would require a combination of strategies including traffic calming treatments.[57]

Information campaigns are also used by authorities to support speed limits, for example the Speeding. No one thinks big of you. campaign in Australia 2007.

Justification

Speed limits are set primarily to balance road traffic safety concerns with the effect on travel time and mobility. Speed limits are also sometimes used to reduce consumption of fuel or in response to environmental concerns.[58]

Road traffic safety

See also: Road traffic safety
The Pan-American Highway with central median and no freestanding obstructions increasing level of safety at high speed
Traffic calming can be effective on lower speed roads

According to a 2004 report from the World Health Organisation a total of 22% of all 'injury mortality' worldwide were from road traffic injuries in 2002[n 4] and without 'increased efforts and new initiatives' casualty rates would increase by 65% between 2000 and 2020.[n 5] The report identified that the speed of vehicles was 'at the core of the problem[n 6] and said that speed limits should be set appropriately for the road function and design along with physical measures related to the road and the vehicle and effective enforcement by the police.[n 7] Road incidents are said to be the leading cause of deaths among children 10 – 19 years of age (260,000 children die a year, 10 million are injured).[59] They are also occasionally set to reduce vehicle emissions or fuel use.

Maximum speed limits place an upper limit on speed choice and if obeyed can reduce the differences in vehicle speeds by drivers using the same road at the same time.[n 8] Traffic engineers observe that the likelihood of a crash happening is significantly higher if vehicles are traveling at speeds faster or slower than the mean speed of traffic;[n 9] when severity is taken into account the risk is lowest for those traveling at or below the median speed and "increases exponentially for motorists driving faster".[n 10]

It is desirable to attempt to reduce the speed of road vehicles in some circumstances because the kinetic energy involved in a motor vehicle collision is proportional to the square of the speed at impact. The probability of a fatality is, for typical collision speeds, empirically correlated to the fourth power of the speed difference (depending on the type of collision, not necessarily the same as travel speed) at impact,[60] rising much faster than kinetic energy.

The 2009 technical report An Analysis of Speeding-Related Crashes:Definitions and the Effects of Road Environments by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration showed that about 55 percent of all speeding-related crashes in fatal crashes had "exceeding posted speed limits" among their crash factors, and 45 percent had "driving too fast for conditions" among their crash factors. However, the authors of the report did not attempt to determine whether the factors were actually a crash cause, contributor, or an unrelated factor.[61] Furthermore, separate research finds that only 1.6% of crashes are "caused" by drivers that exceed the posted speed limit.[62] Finally, exceeding the posted limit may not be a remarkable factor in crash analysis as there exist roadways where virtually all motorists are in technical violation of the law.[63]

The speed limit will also take note of the speed at which the road was designed to be driven (the design speed) which is defined in the USA as "a selected speed used to determine the various geometric design features of the roadway".[64] However traffic engineers recognize that "operating speeds and even posted speed limits can be higher than design speeds without necessarily compromising safety". [65]

Vision Zero, which envision reducing road fatalities and serious injuries to zero by 2020, suggests the following "possible long term maximum travel speeds related to the infrastructure, given best practice in vehicle design and 100% restraint use":[66]

Possible Maximum Travel Speeds
Type of infrastructure and traffic Possible travel speed (km/h)
Locations with possible conflicts between pedestrians and cars 30 km/h (19 mph)
Intersections with possible side impacts between cars 50 km/h (31 mph)
Roads with possible frontal impacts between cars, including rural roads[67] 70 km/h (43 mph)
Roads with no possibility of a side impact or frontal impact (only impact with the infrastructure) 100 km/h (62 mph)+

"Roads with no possibility of a side impact or frontal impact" are sometimes designated as Type 1 ( motorways/freeways/Autobahns ), Type 2 ("2+2 roads") or Type 3 ("2+1 roads").[68] These roadways have crash barriers separating opposing traffic, limited access, grade separation and prohibitions on slower and more vulnerable road users. Undivided rural roads can be quite dangerous even with speed limits that appear low by comparison. For example, in 2008, Germany's 100 km/h (62 mph)-limited rural roads had a fatality rate of 9.5 deaths per billion travel-km, over four times higher than the autobahn rate of 2.2 deaths.[69] Autobahns accounted for 33% of German road travel in 2008,[70] but just 11% (495 of 4,477) of traffic deaths.

Fuel efficiency

Fuel efficiency sometimes affects speed limit selection. The United States instituted a National Maximum Speed Law of 55 mph (89 km/h) as part of the Emergency Highway Energy Conservation Act in response to the 1973 oil crisis to reduce fuel consumption.[71] According to a report published in 1986 by The Heritage Foundation, a Conservative advocacy group, the law was widely disregarded by motorists and hardly reduced consumption at all.[72] In 2009 The American Trucking Associations called for a 65 mph speed limit and also national fuel economy standards claiming that the lower speed limit was not effective at saving fuel.[73]

Environmental considerations

Speed limits can also be used to improve local air quality issues or other factors affecting environmental quality[74] for example the "environmental speed limits" in the United States including one in an area of Texas.[75]

The European Union is also increasingly using speed limits as in response to environmental concerns.[58]

Advocacy

Speed limits, and especially some of the methods used to attempt to enforce them, have always been controversial. There are a variety of notable organisations and individuals who, for a variety of often passionately held views, oppose or support the use of speed limits or the way they are enforced.

Opposition

Speed limits, and their enforcement have been opposed by various groups and for various reasons since their inception. Historically, the AA was formed in 1905, initially to warn members about speed traps.[76]

In more recent times some advocacy groups seek to have certain speed limits as well as other measures removed. For example, automated camera enforcement has been criticised by motoring advocacy groups the Association of British Drivers,[77][78] the North American National Motorists Association,[79][80] and the German Auto Club.[81]

Arguments used by those advocating a relaxation of speed limits or their removal include:

  • A 1994 peer-reviewed paper by Charles A. Lave et al. titled Did the 65 mph Speed Limit Save Lives? stated that evidence that a higher speed limit may be positive on a system wide in the United States by shifting more traffic to these safer roads.[82]
  • A 1998 report in the Wall Street Journal title 'Highways are safe at any speed' stated that when speed limits are set artificially low, tailgating, weaving and speed variance (the problem of some cars traveling significantly faster than others) make roads less safe.[83]
  • In 2010 German Auto Club (a major motoring organisation) argued that an autobahn speed limit was unnecessary because numerous countries with a general highway speed limit had worse safety records than Germany, for example Denmark, Belgium, Austria, and the United States.[81]
  • In 2008, the German Automobile Manufacturer's Association called general limits "patronizing",[84] arguing instead for variable speed limits. The Association also stated that "raising the speed limits in Denmark (in 2004 from 110 km/h to 130 km/h) and Italy (2003 increase on six-lane highways from 130 km/h to 150 km/h) had no negative impact on traffic safety. The number of accidental deaths even declined".[85]
  • Safe Speed, a UK advocacy organisation campaigns for higher speed limits[86] and to scrap speed cameras on the basis that the benefits were exaggerated and that they may actually increase casualty levels;[87] their ePetition to the UK government in 2007 calling for speed cameras to be scrapped received over 25,000 signatures.[88]

Support

Various other advocacy groups press for stricter limits and better enforcement. In the United Kingdom the Pedestrians Association was formed in the United Kingdom in 1929 to protect the interests of the pedestrian. Their president published a critique of motoring legislation and the influence of motoring groups in 1947 title 'Murder most foul' which laid out in an emotional but detailed way the situation as they saw it and called for tighter speed limits.[89] Historically, the Pedestrians' Association and the Automobile Association were described as "bitterly opposed" in the early years of United Kingdom motoring legislation.[90] More recently RoadPeace was founded in 1991 with an aim to stop road victims being "treated by the economy as acceptable, by the judicial system as trivial and by society as accidents" and called for a default 20 mph speed limit in residential areas.[91] Vision Zero is "a philosophy of road safety that eventually no one will be killed or seriously injured within the road transport system".[92]

Signage

In most of the world speed limit signs display the limitation within a red circle. This design follows the style set out by the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals. The United States and Canada are the only two countries to not use this style. All countries (except the United Kingdom and United States) use metric speed limits in kilometres per hour. Metric signs are optional in the United States though rarely seen, while Samoa uses both units.

Maximum Speed Limit

Minimum Speed Limit

Minimum speed limit signs are usually a blue circle with a white border and the limit in white. Some South American countries (e.g.: Argentina), use a red border. Japan and South Korea use their normal speed limit sign, with a line below the limit.

Special Speed Limits

In some countries, speed limits may apply to certain classes of vehicles, or special conditions such as night-time. Usually these speed limits will be reduced from the normal limit for safety reasons.

Speed Limit Derestriction

In some countries, derestriction signs are used to mark where a speed zone ends. The speed limit beyond the sign is the prevailing limit for the general area, for example the sign might be used to show the end of an urban area. In the United Kingdom, the sign means that the national speed limit for an area applies (30 mph in built-up areas, 60 mph on open roads, 70 mph on motorways). In New Zealand it means you are on an open road, but the maximum legal speed of 100 km/h still applies[93]

Advisory Speed Limit

Further information: Advisory speed limit

Advisory speed limits may provide a safe suggested speed in an area, or warn of the safe maximum speed for dangerous curves.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ World Heath Organisation (2004) p. foreword, "In high-income countries, an established set of interventions have contributed to significant reductions in the incidence and impact of road traffic injuries. These include the enforcement of legislation to control speed and alcohol consumption, mandating the use of seat-belts and crash helmets, and the safer design and use of roads and vehicles."
  2. ^ a b c British Columbia Ministry of Transportation (2003), p. 26 tables 10 and 11
  3. ^ Federal Highway Administration (1998) p. 2 'In general, changing speed limits on low and moderate speed roads appears to have little or no effect on speed and thus little or no effect on crashes. This suggests that drivers travel at speeds they feel are reasonable and safe for the road and traffic regardless of the posted limit. However, on freeways and other high-speed roads, speed limit increases generally lead to higher speeds and crashes. The change in speed is roughly one-fourth the change in speed limit. Results from international studies suggest that for every 1 mi/h change in speed, injury accidents will change by 5 percent (3 percent for every 1km/h). However there is limited evidence that suggests the net effect of speed limits may be positive on a system wide basis.'
  4. ^ World Heath Organisation (2004) p. 34 fig 2.1
  5. ^ World Heath Organisation (2004) p. 3
  6. ^ World Heath Organisation (2004) p. 76
  7. ^ World Heath Organisation (2004) p. 127
  8. ^ Federal Highway Administration (1998) p. 2
  9. ^ British Columbia Ministry of Transportation (2003), p. v 'The likelihood of a crash occurring is significantly greater for motorists traveling at speed slower and faster than the mean speed of traffic'
  10. ^ Federal Highway Administration (1998) page 2 'When the consequences of crashes are taken into account, the risk of being involved in an injury crash is lowest for vehicles that travel near the median speed or slower and increases exponentially for motorists traveling much faster'

References

Documents referenced from 'Notes' section
  • Federal Highway Administration (1998). "Synthesis of Safety Research Related to Speed and Speed Limits" (PDF). Retrieved 2009-09-17.
Other references for article
  1. ^ "Revised speed limits in Abu Dhabi to stay: Speed limits on the Abu Dhabi-Dubai and Abu Dhabi-Al Ain highways will remain at 160km/h..." Gulf News Al Nisr Publishing LLC. 2005-12-24. Retrieved 2010-09-29.
  2. ^ "Police refute change in speed limit text messages". Gulf News Al Nisr Publishing LLC. 2009-08-11. Retrieved 2010-09-29. Refuting widely circulated SMS's announcing the change in speed limit along the highway from 160km/hr to 130km/hr, Colonel Engineer Hussain Ahmad Al Harthi, head of the traffic engineering and road safety department at Abu Dhabi Police said: "If Abu Dhabi police were to make any such changes that directly impact the residents of the city, then we would reach out to the public in an authentic manner through various media channels. For now, we have made no changes to the speed limits."
  3. ^ "New speed limit rules in Abu Dhabi". Gulf News Al Nisr Publishing LLC. 2010-12-26. Retrieved 2010-12-26. Abu Dhabi Police will enforce new speed limit regulations starting next week...The speed limit on highways will be 140 kilometres per hour with an allowance of 20 km per hour, which means that a motorist would be fined if he crosses 160 km per hour on highways
  4. ^ http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/new-e11-speed-limit-cuts-accidents-by-a-third
  5. ^ "Current speed limit policies". European Commission. Retrieved 2010-04-23.
  6. ^ "SPEED Fact Sheet. German Autobahn: The Speed Limit Debate" (PDF). European Transport Safety Council. Feb 2008. Retrieved 2010-12-03. on unlimited sections the mean speed was considerably higher in 1992: 132 km/h (Umweltbundesamt, 1999). Further, and of relevance for safety is the fact that 51% of drivers were above the recommended speed limit of 130 km/h on unlimited sections.
  7. ^ "Auswirkungen eines allgemeinen Tempolimits auf Autobahnen im Land Brandenburg" (PDF). Brandenburg. October 2007. Retrieved 2010-12-04. (English)=On clear stretches of 6-lane highway, cars average a speed of 142 km / h. For a 4-lane unlimited, section the average is 5 km / h lower.
  8. ^ a b "No All-Island Speed Limit". Isle of Man Guide. 6 November 2004. Retrieved 2009-09-17.
  9. ^ "The Table of Maximum Speed Limits at a Glance" (PDF).
  10. ^ http://www.mahatranscom.in/faq.aspx
  11. ^ "The impact of lowered speed limits in urban and metropolitan areas" (PDF).
  12. ^ "Motoring firsts". National Motoring Museum.
  13. ^ Adam Hart Davis. "The Eureka Years". BBC Radio 4.
  14. ^ "US History, Criminal Justice, The first speeding ticket".
  15. ^ "An Analysis of Speeding-Related Crashes:Definitions and the Effects of Road Environments" (PDF). U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. February 2009. Retrieved 2010-04-25. Appendix: The basic rules governing speed of vehicles in Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Montana, North Carolina, and Wisconsin.
  16. ^ "Road Traffic Act 1991". Office of Public Sector Information. Retrieved 2010-05-03. A person is guilty of an offence if he intentionally and without lawful authority or reasonable cause— (a) causes anything to be on or over a road, or (b) interferes with a motor vehicle, trailer or cycle, or (c) interferes (directly or indirectly) with traffic equipment, in such circumstances that it would be obvious to a reasonable person that to do so would be dangerous. (2) In subsection (1) above "dangerous" refers to danger either of injury to any person while on or near a road, or of serious damage to property on or near a road; and in determining for the purposes of that subsection what would be obvious to a reasonable person in a particular case, regard shall be had not only to the circumstances of which he could be expected to be aware but also to any circumstances shown to have been within the knowledge of the accused. {{cite web}}: line feed character in |quote= at position 103 (help)
  17. ^ "On Gravel Roads, People Drive At Speed They Are Comfortable With, Regardless Of Posted Limit". Retrieved 2010-10-13. "We found that people are driving at speeds based on their perceptions and existing conditions – regardless of the speed limit," said Dissanayake, who also is a faculty member with K-State's University Transportation Center...when it came to speed limits and the actual speeds driven, the difference was not significant between 35 mph and 55 mph roads. An example is the gravel roadways in Johnson County and Miami County. The study found that though two speed limits exist, the driving characteristics were the same. While Johnson County's speed limit is 35 mph and posted, the average actual speed of 37.5 mph was higher than the average actual speed of 35.8 mph in Miami County, where the speed limit is 55 mph and not posted.
  18. ^ "California Vehicle Code section 22350: Basic Speed Law". California Department of Motor Vehicles. September 20, 1963. Retrieved 2010-04-25. No person shall drive a vehicle upon a highway at a speed greater than is reasonable or prudent having due regard for weather, visibility, the traffic on, and the surface and width of, the highway, and in no event at a speed which endangers the safety of persons or property. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  19. ^ "Traffic Operations : Road Signs". Government of South Australia. 2002-08-23 (last update date). Retrieved 2010-09-26. Most regulatory signs are rectangular with a black legend on a white background...[exceptions include] speed restriction signs (symbol enclosed in a red circle)" {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  20. ^ "Speed Zoning Information" (PDF). Institute of Transportation Engineers. 22 March 2004. Retrieved 2009-09-17. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  21. ^ : 88 http://trb.org/publications/nchrp/nchrp_rpt_504.pdf. Retrieved 2009-09-16. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help); Missing or empty |title= (help)
  22. ^ "Speeds on Rural Interstate Highways Relative to Posting the 40 mph Minimum Speed Limit". U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS). 2004. Retrieved 2010-09-29. The relevance of posting the 40 mile per hour (mph) minimum speed limit on the Interstate Highway System has been increasingly called into question since the National Highway System Designation Act of 1995 repealed the federally sanctioned maximum speed limit. In this study, data were collected on major interstate highways in Florida to evaluate speed distribution relative to the 40 mph posted minimum speed limit. The data revealed that the 15th percentile speed at all sites was 60 mph or above on both four-lane and six-lane highway sections. The analysis showed that the average speed at all sites was approximately 5 standard deviations above the 40 mph minimum.
  23. ^ "Rules for motorways". Highway code. HMSO. Retrieved 28 January 2011.
  24. ^ Peter Schick (June 2003), (translation) "Influence of Traffic Control Systems on Freeway Capacity and Stability of Traffic Flow"; Original Title "Einfluss von Streckenbeeinflussungsanlagen auf de Kapazitaet von Autobahnabschnitten sowie die Stabilitaet des Verkehrsflusses" (PDF), University of Stuttgart, p. 20, retrieved 2010-10-16, (translation) "The first experiment was carried out in 1965 on a 30 km section of the A8 from Salzburg to Munich. The system consisted of mechanically variable message signs at a distance of 2 km, which could display speeds of 60, 80 and 100 km/h, and "danger zone" and "accident". Personnel monitored traffic using video technology, and manually controlled the signage. Studies reported a decrease in traffic disruptions and breakdowns, harmonization of the velocity distribution and an increase in performance (Zackor 1972, see also Chapter 3.2.2)." German text: "Die erste linienhafte Beeinflussung des Verkehrs erfolgte im Jahr 1965 durch die Errichtung einer Wechselverkehrszeichenanlage auf einem 30 km langen Abschnitt der A8 auf der Richtungsfahrbahn Salzburg – München. Die Anlage bestand aus neben der Fahrbahn angebrachten mechanischen Wechselverkehrszeichen im Abstand von 2 km, die StVO-gerechte Zeichen für die Geschwindigkeitsbegrenzungen 60, 80 und 100 km/h sowie „Gefahrstelle" und „Unfall" anzeigen konnten (Abb. 2-1). Diese Zeichen wurden vom Betreiberpersonal, das mittels Videotechnologie eine Übersicht über das Verkehrsgeschehen hatte, manuell geschaltet. Somit konnte erstmals auf einer Autobahn die Geschwindigkeit des Verkehrs beeinflusst sowie eine Unfallwarnung vorgenommen werden. Die ersten Erfahrungen und wissenschaftlichen Untersuchungen berichten von einer Abnahme der Störungen und Verkehrszusammenbrüche, einer Harmonisierung der Geschwindigkeitsverteilung sowie einer Steigerung der Leistungsfähigkeit (ZACKOR 1972, siehe auch Kapitel 3.2.2).
  25. ^ Ralf Schmahld (06 AUGUST 2009), (translation) "20 years waiting in traffic jams"; Original Title "20 Jahre im Stau gestanden", Reise (Travel) magazine, retrieved 2010-10-16, (translation) "A total of 1,300 kilometers of motorways now have traffic control systems for the harmonization of traffic flow by speed limits and traffic warning, and the government expects to expand their use: 2500 km stretch of motorway could be controlled by these dynamic control systems." German text: "An insgesamt 1.300 Kilometern der Bundesautobahnen seien inzwischen Streckenbeeinflussungsanlagen zur Harmonisierung des Verkehrsablaufs durch Geschwindigkeitsbeschränkungen und Gefahrenwarnung installiert worden, teilt die Regierung weiter mit. 2.500 Kilometer Autobahnstrecke könnten mittels dynamischer Netzbeeinflussungsanlagen gesteuert werden" {{citation}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  26. ^ Mark Robinson, P.E. (January 9, 2000), Examples of Variable Speed Limit Applications. Speed Management Workshop (PDF), Transportation Research Board. 79th Annual Meeting, retrieved 2010-10-17, "New Jersey. Status: Active (installed in the late 1960s). Objective: to provide early warning to motorists of slow traffic or hazardous road conditions. Setting: Urban/Rural - New Jersey Turnpike.
  27. ^ "WYDOT proposes to lower I-80 speed limit". KSL-TV. September 29, 2008. Retrieved 2010-10-16. The Wyoming Department of Transportation says it plans to impose a speed limit of 65 mph on a 52-mile stretch of the interstate between Laramie and Rawlins. The reduction from the existing speed limit of 75 mph will take effect Oct. 15 and continue for six months. In addition, WYDOT intends to install variable speed-limit signs on the same stretch of highway so the limit can be lowered further because of bad weather. The section is between the Quealy Dome Interchange, 20 miles west of Laramie, and the Peterson Interchange, 22 miles east of Rawlins, the agency said.
  28. ^ "Wyoming seasonal speed limit will vary with conditions". Land Line Magazine. October 15, 2010. Retrieved 2010-10-16. "When it's all horizontal and drifts, it kills the visibility, and we have a horrible time trying to keep people on the road," Wyoming DOT engineer Tim McGary told Land Line Now on Sirius XM. McGary says this winter, truckers on I-80 will no longer see that 65 mph seasonal speed limit between Laramie and Rawlins. Instead, the whole 52-mile stretch will have the electronic, variable speed limit signs that the DOT started installing last year. The variable signs allow the DOT to lower or raise the speed limit in 5 mph increments depending on the weather conditions. And McGary says they work. The statistics are kind of showing that if we're on top of things with our plow operators and troopers out there, and we get the speed limits reduced appropriately to the weather conditions, people are complying pretty well with that," McGary said. "Our crash rates have gone down and we're hoping to continue that trend."
  29. ^ "Managing Speed". Public Roads. www.tfhrc.gov. January/February 2003. Retrieved 2008-07-06. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  30. ^ "Tennessee Low Visibility Warning System" (PDF). Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved 2010-10-17.
  31. ^ Report (HC 15, 2004-05): Tackling congestion by making better use of England's motorways and trunk roads (Full Report) (PDF), National Audit Office, 26 November 2004, p. 21, retrieved 2009-09-17, The initial results of the one year trial of Variable Speed Limits indicated savings in journey times, smoother flowing traffic and a fall in the number of accidents. On the basis of these findings, the Agency converted the trial into a permanent facility in 1997. Variable Speed Limits have generally been popular with road users who have reported perceived benefits, including less congestion and less stressful journeys. Yet the Agency could not prove a business case to use the measure elsewhere. Conditions at the site of the Variable Speed Limits trial were not stable before or during the trial, or in the period of extended monitoring that followed it. Traffic volumes changed and the Agency introduced new technology and new lighting and widened the motorway at both ends of the trial site, preventing it from establishing properly controlled and reliable "before and after" data to assess the measure's impact. Without reliable data, the Agency could not prove a business case to use the measure elsewhere. As a result, in 2002 the Agency extended the Variable Speed Limits trial, at a further budgeted cost of £3.9 million, to cover an additional eight kilometres of the M25, where conditions were expected to be more stable, in order to collect sufficient before and after data to prepare a business case.
  32. ^ "M1 Junctions 6A to 10 Official Completion Ceremony" (PDF). Highways Agency.
  33. ^ "M1 works speed cameras will stay". BBC News. 2010-01-03. Retrieved 2010-04-13.
  34. ^ Andrew W Fergus and David J Turner (MWH NZ Ltd) (22 – 25 September 2002). "Monitoring Incident and Travel Behaviour Through the Use of ATMS Architecture" (PDF). Retrieved 2010-10-21. initial results of a Transfund Research project being undertaken to evaluate the effectiveness of Variable Message Speed Signs (VMSS) within the Ngauranga Active Traffic Management System ( NATMS). NATMS is an incident based system whose objective is to facilitate the passage of traffic through a very demanding section of state highway just north of Wellington...A unique feature of the NATMS is the use of VMSS which display a mandatory speed imposed by controllers in response to an incident or prevailing traffic conditions...In February 2001 Transit New Zealand (TNZ) commissioned the operation of the Ngauranga Active Traffic Management System (NATMS) on State Highway 1, north of Wellington, New Zealand. The NATMS covers a 4km stretch of State Highway between Johnsonville and the SH1 / SH2 Interchange. The NATMS is the first system in New Zealand to use Automatic Incident Detection (AID) and was chosen because of the challenging driving conditions which are compounded by steep terrain, numerous bends and a high degree of weaving between lanes. This in conjunction with a volume in excess of 60,000 vehicles per day and an accident rate higher than the national average were contributing factors in the introduction of the NATMS. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  35. ^ "German: Ein Monat 'Tempo 160' auf der A10. English: A month of 'Tempo 160' on the A10". "German: Den 'Tempo 160-Test' auf der A10 bezeichnete Gorbach "allen Unkenrufen zum Trotz" als 'Meilenstein in der europäischen Verkehrspolitik'. Er betonte im Rahmen einer Pressekonferenz in Wien, dass mit Tempo 160 'nicht die Raser gefördert, sondern die Geschwindigkeit flexibilisiert' werden soll. English: '[The then Austrian Minister for Transportation Hubert] Gorbach said the 'Test Speed 160' on the A10 [motorway] was 'a milestone in European transport policy-despite all predictions to the contrary'. He said at a press conference in Vienna that a 160 limit 'does not promote speeding, but more flexible travel speeds'.
  36. ^ "The duties of the Swiss Federal Roads Office - ASTRA - Bundesamt". 2009. Retrieved 2010-10-26. Outside of built-up areas: Prior to 1973: no restriction 1973: 100 km/h (provisional) 1977: 100 km/h (definitive) 1985: 80 km/h (trial) 1989: 80 km/h (definitive), national referendum on 26 November 1989 Motorways: Prior to 1973: no restriction 1973: 100 km/h (temporary), due to oil crisis 1974: 130 km/h (provisional) 1977: 130 km/h (definitive) 1985: 120 km/h (trial) 1989: 120 km/h (definitive), national referendum on 26 November 1989 {{cite web}}: line feed character in |quote= at position 27 (help)
  37. ^ Darren L. Jorgenson, Kumares C. Sinha (Joint Transportation Research Program, Purdue University) (April 2000). "The Development of a Speed Monitoring Program for Indiana (FHWA/IN/JTRP-98/19)". Indiana Department of Transportation. Retrieved 2010-09-26. CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION : 1.1 Background Information "Prior to 1974, Interstate highways through various states had different speed limits, with the exception of Montana and Nevada, which had none."{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  38. ^ FindLaw for Legal Professionals - Case Law, Federal and State Resources, Forms, and Code
  39. ^ "Speed limits to be introduced on NT open roads". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 2 November 2006. Retrieved 2009-09-17. The open speed limit for the Territory will end. On our major highways the maximum speed will be 130km/h. And on our other open roads the default will be 110.
  40. ^ "NT has worst road toll in OECD nations". Retrieved 2010-04-27. A report on road deaths in 2007 shows the Northern Territory had by far the highest per capita rate of fatalities when compared with the rest of Australia and OECD countries.
  41. ^ "MOTION Reinstatement of Open Speed Limits". Retrieved 2010-05-17. We have adopted a speed limit on our main highways that is responsible and workable; the road toll is down in areas where 130 km/h limits were introduced on 1 January 2007. Tragically, five people have been killed in 130 km/h zone areas this year, seven in 2008, and six in 2007. This compares to an average of more than 12 people per year in the five years prior to speed limits, with 16 people dying in 2002, 16 in 2003, 11 in 2004, 14 in 2005, and six in 2006. The fatalities recorded in the now 130 km/h zone on the Stuart Highway are particularly tragic, averaging over nine fatalities per year prior to speed limits. Since the introduction of speed limits this has reduced to an average of five fatalities per year to date - five too many.
  42. ^ "Revheads' dream: bid to scrap NT speed limits". Aug 18, 2009. Retrieved 2010-05-17. The Opposition's transport spokesman Adam Giles says despite the introduction of speed limits, the road toll has increased. In 2006 44 people were killed and the following year the toll climbed by 13 deaths. In 2008 it reached 75. However, this year's road toll is 17, compared with 45 for the same period in 2008. The Opposition is planning to debate a motion in the Legislative Assembly today to have speed limits lifted on parts of main highways.
  43. ^ "Northern Territory Crash Statistics". Northern Territory Transport Group. Retrieved 2010-05-16.
  44. ^ Adam Giles (August 10, 2011). "SPEED LIMITS". Country Liberal Party. Retrieved 2012-03-01. Open speed limits were removed in 2007 by the current Labor Government after undertaking a road safety review...Official road toll figures in 2006 were 44. Following the removal of open speed limits the toll increased to 57 and then 75. Last year it was 50, higher still than when speed limits were removed...The Country Liberals - within the first 100 days of government - will review the state of the Territory's major arterial routes and identify safe locations for open speed limits to be reintroduced.
  45. ^ Terry Mills. "Road Safety - Deadly serious - Reducing risks on our roads" (PDF). Country Liberal Party. Retrieved 2012-09-13. Speed Limits. A Country Liberals Government will adopt an evidence-based approach to speed limits on our major highways. We will conduct an audit of the impact of the introduction of speed limits and will base any future decisions around that information.
  46. ^ "Northern Territory chief minister considers scrapping speed limit on the [[Stuart Highway]]". Herald Sun. News Limited Network. September 11, 2012. Retrieved 2012-09-15. Newly elected Northern Territory Chief Minister Terry Mills indicated he was willing to dump the 130kmh speed limit on the Stuart Highway. The road did not have a set speed limit until January 1, 2007...Mr Mills and the CLP took power last month and was today asked whether he planned to scrap the rural speed limits. He suggested the 1100km of road between Katherine and Alice Springs could possibly exist without a speed limit. {{cite web}}: URL–wikilink conflict (help)
  47. ^ "Transport Implications of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan: Report" (PDF). JMP Consulting. 2007-04-27. Retrieved 2010-09-26.
  48. ^ "SPEED Fact Sheet. German Autobahn: The Speed Limit Debate" (PDF). European Transport Safety Council. Feb 2008. Retrieved 2010-10-16. Currently, 52% of the German motorways do not have a speed limit, 15% have temporary speed limits due to weather or traffic conditions and 33% have permanent speed limits. On unlimited sections there is a 130 km/h recommendation.
  49. ^ "Lärmaktionsplan 2008 der Stadt Gera" (PDF). Die Berechnung basiert dabei auf der in Deutschland gültigen Richtgeschwindigkeit von 130 km/h. Die real gefahrene Geschwindigkeit auf „freigegebenen" Autobahnabschnitten liegt jedoch deutlich höher, wie das in Abb. 54 dargestellte Beispiel von der A9 im Bereich Niemegk zeigt. Die V85 liegt teilweise bei über 170 km/h. Im Schnitt fahren deutlich über 60 % der Verkehrsteilnehmer schneller als 130 km/h. Mehr als 30 % der Verkehrsteilnehmer fahren im Schnitt schneller als 150 km/h
  50. ^ "Traffic Safety - The German Experience after Reunification" (PDF). German Society for Technical Cooperation. 2004-11-06. Retrieved 2009-09-17.
  51. ^ "EFFECTS OF THE 65-MPH SPEED LIMIT ON TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS IN OHIO". University of Cincinnati. 1992. Retrieved 2010-07-10. fatal accident rates on rural Interstate highways posted at 65 mph or rural non-Interstate highways posted at 55 mph had not significantly changed after the implementation of the 65-mph speed limit. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  52. ^ "South Dakota Speed Monitoring" (PDF). South Dakota Department of Transportation. 2012. Retrieved 2012-07-12.
  53. ^ "Written Answers to Questions: Road Accidents". Hansard. House of Commons. 2003-01-31. Retrieved 2010-04-23. TRL research on urban speed management methods published in 1998 (TRL Report 363) found only an average 1 mph drop in speeds and no discernible accident reduction in accidents in 20 mph limits using only signs. Advisory speed limits are not normally approved in England and Wales. However, the more successful 20 mph zones that use self enforcing traffic calming features achieved average speed reductions of around 10 mph which produced a 70 per cent. reduction in child pedestrian accidents and a 48 per cent. reduction in child cyclist accidents.
  54. ^ http://www.streetfilms.org/no-need-for-speed-20s-plenty-for-us/
  55. ^ http://www.walk21.com/papers/Josua_Hart.pdf
  56. ^ "A 50 km/h default urban speed limit for Australia?" (PDF). Monash University Accident Research Centre. Retrieved 2010-04-26. After Norway reduced its urban speed limit from 60 km/h to 50 km/h, the average speed fell by 3.5-4 km/h and the number of fatal accidents was reduced by 45 per cent (Norwegian Traffic Safety Handbook, cited in 9)... The bulk of the casualty crash benefit relates to implementation of 50 km/h default speed limits on urban arterials currently zoned 60 km/h. Extending the default 50 km/h urban speed limit to all residential streets across Australia contributes about 6% of the total saving in casualty crashes.
  57. ^ "Evaluation of a 50 km/h Default Urban Speed Limit for Australia". Monash University Accident Research Centre. November 2001. Retrieved 2012-09-15. The trial achieved reductions in average speeds of 1.5 to 2 km/h in some councils and a 7% reduction in the number of casualties and casualty crashes in the trial LGAs compared to the rest of the State.
  58. ^ a b "Current speed limit policies". European Commission. Retrieved 2010-04-23. A speed limit is based on both safety and mobility considerations and increasingly also on environmental considerations.
  59. ^ "UN raises child accidents alarm". BBC News. 2008-12-10.
  60. ^ "Synthesis of Safety Research Related to Speed and Speed Limits" (PDF). Federal Highway Administration. 1998. Retrieved 2009-09-17. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  61. ^ Liu, Cejun; Chen, Chou-Lin (2009). "http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811090.PDF". National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help); External link in |title= (help); Unknown parameter |DUPLICATE DATA: title= ignored (help)
  62. ^ http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/38/3801.asp
  63. ^ http://www.nbcdfw.com/investigations/Dallas-Freeways-Where-Almost-Everyone-Speeds-138851784.html
  64. ^ "Design Speed, Operating Speed, and Posted Speed Practices (Report 504)" (PDF). National Cooperative Highway Research Program.
  65. ^ "Design Speed, Operating Speed, and Posted Speed Practices (Report 504)" (PDF). National Cooperative Highway Research Program. A significant concern with the 1954 design speed concept was the language of the definition and its relationship with operational speed measures. The term "maximum safe speed" is used in the definition, and it was recognized that operating speeds and even posted speed limits can be higher than design speeds without necessarily compromising safety. In 1997, Fambro et al. (15) recommended a revised definition of design speed for the Green Book while maintaining the five provisions noted above. The definition recommended was, "The design speed is a selected speed used to determine the various geometric design features of the roadway." The term "safe" was removed in order to avoid the perception that speeds greater than the design speed were "unsafe." The AASHTO Task Force on Geometric Design voted in November 1998 to adopt this definition and it was included in the 2001 Green Book (17). {{cite web}}: line feed character in |quote= at position 118 (help)
  66. ^ Claes Tingvall and Narelle Haworth. "Vision Zero - An ethical approach to safety and mobility". Table 1. Possible long term maximum travel speeds related to the infrastructure, given best practice in vehicle design and 100% restraint use...
  67. ^ "EU wants to slash rural speed limit". Irish Independent newspaper. 2010-10-13. Retrieved 2010-11-10. Europe's top road safety agency warned yesterday that the speed limit on our killer rural roads is too high and should be slashed by a third...The general speed limit of 100kmh on main rural roads which do not have dividing crash barriers should be cut to 70kmh or less, an official report recommended yesterday. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  68. ^ "NRA New Divided Road Types: Type 2 and Type 3 Dual-carriageways" (PDF). (Ireland) National Road Authority. Retrieved 2010-11-22. Type 2 Dual Carriageway: A divided all-purpose road with two lanes in each direction Type 3 Dual Carriageway: A divided all purpose road with two lanes in one direction of travel and one lane in the other direction. the two-lane section, which provides the overtaking opportunity, alternates with a one-lane section at intervals {{cite web}}: line feed character in |quote= at position 85 (help)
  69. ^ "Traffic accidents (2008)" (PDF) (in German). de:Bundesanstalt für Straßenwesen. October 2009. Retrieved 2010-04-21. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help); Unknown parameter |unused_data= ignored (help)
  70. ^ "Traffic and Accident Data Summary Statistics - Germany (2008)" (PDF) (in German). (German) Federal Highway Research Institute. Retrieved 2010-04-21. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  71. ^ Nevada brief in Nevada v. Skinner
  72. ^ Copulos, Milton R. (1986-09-09). "The High Cost of the 55 MPH Speed Limit". The Heritage Foundation. Retrieved 2007-04-19. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  73. ^ "Trucking Industry Asks Congress for National 65 mph Speed Limit". Environment News Service. January 27, 2009. Retrieved 2009-02-08.
  74. ^ Int Panis L; et al. (2011). "PM, NOX and CO2 emission reductions from speed management policies in Europe". Transport Policy. 18 (1): 32–37. doi:10.1016/j.tranpol.2010.05.005. {{cite journal}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |month= (help); Explicit use of et al. in: |author= (help)
  75. ^ "Vehicular Speed-Limit Reduction". Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. 2002. Retrieved 2010-04-13.
  76. ^ "AA History, The story of the AA since 1905". The Automobile Association. Retrieved 2008-10-26. A group of motoring enthusiasts met at the Trocadero restaurant in London's West End on 29 June to form the Automobile Association (the AA) – a body initially intended to help motorists avoid police speed traps.
  77. ^ "Speed Limits — How they are set and your Right to Object". Association of British Drivers. Retrieved 2010-04-17.
  78. ^ "Speed Cameras". Association of British Drivers. Retrieved 2010-04-17. Thousands of motorists are losing their jobs, freedom and ability to earn a living. 82% of speed camera victims thought they were driving safely at the time of their conviction and were just unfortunate to be doing a few miles over the limit. 65% thought their speeding ticket was totally unjustified and felt cheated.
  79. ^ "About us". National Motorists Association. Retrieved 2010-04-18. We work for more reasonable speed limits
  80. ^ "NMA Objections To Photo Enforcement". National Motorists Association. Retrieved 2010-04-18.
  81. ^ a b "Autobahn-Temporegelung". Retrieved 2010-11-22. German:Der ADAC hält ein allgemeines Tempolimit auf Autobahnen für nicht erforderlich... Ein Zusammenhang zwischen generellem Tempolimit und dem Sicherheitsniveau auf Autobahnen ist nicht feststellbar. Die Zahl der Getöteten auf Autobahnen pro einer Milliarde Fahrzeugkilometer liegt in Deutschland bei 2,2, mit fallender Tendenz. Zahlreiche Länder mit genereller Geschwindigkeitsbeschränkung schneiden schlechter ab, z.B. Dänemark, Belgien, Österreich, USA. In Österreich, wo ein generelles Tempolimit von 130 km/h gilt, ist die Getötetenrate auf Autobahnen etwa 1,5-mal höher als in Deutschland. English: ADAC holds a general speed limit on motorways to be unnecessary... A connection between general speed limit on highways and safety is undectable. The number of deaths on motorways per 1 billion vehicle-kilometers in Germany is 2.2 with a falling trend. Many countries fare worse with a general speed limit than Germany (e.g. Denmark, Belgium, Austria, USA). In Austria, where speed is generally 130, the death rate on motorways is about 1.5 times higher , Press Release, June 2010.
  82. ^ Lave, Charles (1994). "Did the 65 mph speed limit save lives?" (PDF). Accident Analysis & Prevention. 26 (1). Elsevier: 49–62. doi:10.1016/0001-4575(94)90068-X. Retrieved 20 Apr 2010. This study analyzes the statewide consequences of raising the speed limit, treating highways and enforcement as a total system. We find that the 65 mph speed limit reduced the statewide fatality rate by 3.4%-5.1%, compared to those states that did not raise their speed limit.on rural interstate highways [p.49] VMT grew 1.62 times faster in the 65 mph states than it did in the 55 mph states...These numbers are consistent with the expected pattern of traffic shifts [p.53] {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  83. ^ Peters, Eric (24 November 1998). "Highways Are Safe at Any Speed" (PDF). Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2012-02-17. When speed limits are set arbitrarily low--as under the old system--tailgating, weaving and "speed variance" (the problem of some cars traveling significantly faster than others) make roads less safe
  84. ^ "VDA opposes using speed limit to patronize the public: General Speed Limit Will Not Help with Climate Protection or Safety". Verband der Automobilindustrie. March 2008. A general speed limit on Germany's autobahns will not offer additional benefits in terms of climate protection or driving safety," said VDA Managing Director Dr. Kunibert Schmidt.. "Much more important than the mantra-like repetition of old demands are measures designed to prevent motorists from driving at speeds that are not in line with weather conditions and the flow of the surrounding traffic - the leading cause of motor vehicle accidents
  85. ^ "Fakten gegen ein generelles Tempolimit {"Facts Against A General Speed Limit")". Mar 31, 2007. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |quote (English)= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |quote (German)= ignored (help)
  86. ^ "Speed limits". Safe Speed. Retrieved 2010-04-17. Note that the "average" driver at the 50% percentile has a greater crash risk than the 85th percentile driver. Below the 30th percentile crash risk is significantly increased and these speeds tend to be used by less skilled and competent drivers ... Doddery old fool at 30 mph on a UK "A" road suitable for 60 mph. Of course he has an elevated crash risk. He does not know what he is doing ... A single vehicle in lane 3 of a busy motorway. It's obvious that as the speed is reduced below 55 mph the crash risk will increase
  87. ^ "Welcome to Safe Speed". Safe Speed. Retrieved 2010-04-18. In March we learned via Freedom of Information request that the speed camera side effects research (announced in May 2005) had been axed. It is inconceivable that the side effects DON'T cost more than 25 lives per year, meaning that speed cameras are making road safety worse. But DfT doesn't want to hear this, which is the only possible reason for axing the most important research. So here's the truth. Speed camera policy has failed catastrophically. Department for Transport KNOWS that it has failed but won't admit their deadly mistake and pull the plug.
  88. ^ Smith, Paul (2007-06-23). "'Scrap speed cameras now'". London: The Telegraph. Retrieved 2010-04-17.
  89. ^ J.S.Dean. "Murder most foul".
  90. ^ Criminal on the road. Tavistock Publications. 1964. p. 102. ISBN 978-0-415-26416-7. Retrieved 2010-04-27. Moreover it has been the result of continued compromise between two bitterly opposed factions: those who are against the motorist and will do all they can to constrain him, and those who oppose constraints unless they are relatively minor in their effects. Examples of both sides are, respectively, the Pedestrians' Association and the Automobile Association. The survey shows also that motoring law in 1903 and 1930 wa framed by legislators who knew little of the motor vehicle.
  91. ^ "Safer Streets". RoadPeace. Retrieved 2010-04-27. RoadPeace, along with CTC, LCC, Living Streets, and 20s plenty is campaigning for 20 mph default speed limit in all residential areas
  92. ^ "Vision zero".
  93. ^ "About limits - Speed limits". The offical New Zealand Road Code. New Zealand Transport Agency. Retrieved 8 August 2012. Open road speed limits - The signs below mean that the maximum speed that you can travel at is 100km/h.
  94. ^ Rule 21 http://www.legislation.sa.gov.au/lz/c/r/australian%20road%20rules/current/1999.219.un.pdf

Further reading

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Speed limit signs and Driver speed and relative risk of an accident.
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