Reference Materials
NEW - Use of Uniformed Police Officers in Work Zones - This report to Congress in 2001 documents the findings of studies and surveys regarding the extent and effectiveness of uniformed police officers on Federal-aid highway construction projects.
NEW - Managment Approach to Highway Safety - A Compilation of Good Practices - A guide for developing and implementing a management approach to highway safety.
NEW - Posted Highway Speed Limits Rise - During the last decade daytime speed limits posted for automobiles along many Interstate System and non-Interstate routes rose. By 1993, an estimated 32,600 miles had been posted at 65 miles per hour and 200 miles at 60 miles per hour; this rose to about 64,900 miles posted at 65 miles per hour and 19,100 miles at 60 miles per hour by 2000. By 1995, an estimated 1,800 miles had been signed at 75 miles per hour and 4,000 miles at 70 miles per hour; this rose to about 7,400 miles signed at 75 miles per hour and 40,900 miles at 70 miles per hour by 2000.
Speed Management Workshops: Restoring Credibility to Speed Setting: Engineering, Enforcement & Educational Issues - [PDF, 552KB] - This document synthesizes the findings of two speed management workshops held in 2000. The first was held in conjunction with the Transportation Research Board Annual meeting in Washington DC in January, and the second was held in March in Dallas Texas. The workshops provided ideal platforms for researchers and practitioners to discuss speed-setting and enforcement issues.
Examples of Variable Speed Limit Applications - Variable Speed Limit (VSL) systems utilize traffic speed and volume detection and weather and road surface condition information to determine and display appropriate travel speeds to drivers. Domestic and foreign examples of VSL are available.
Speed Zone Guidelines - A Proposed Recommended Practice - This report prepared by the Institute of Transportation Engineers recommends that speed limits be established on the basis of an engineering study and set at the nearest 5 mi/h increment to the 85th percentile speed or upper limit of the 10 mi/h pace. The engineering study may include other factors such as road alignment and sight distance, roadside development, surface characteristics, pedestrian and bicycle activity, adjacent speed limits, and accident experience or potential. However, in no case should the speed limit be set below the median speed of the 10 mi/h pace. Contact ITE
Survey of Speed Zoning Practices - An Informational Report - This report is based on a study by ITE Traffic Engineering Council Technical Committee TENC-97-12. The objective was to identify and summarize the speed zoning practices used by agencies in he United States. Contact ITE
Traffic Calming: State of the Practice - This report is a product of a national traffic calming technical assistance project by FHWA in partnership with ITE. At the local level, traffic calming responds to public concerns about speeding and cut-through traffic. Citizens look to their elected officials, and elected officials look to transportation professionals for technical solutions. The purpose of this report is not to advocate for or against traffic calming but rather to provide balanced information so readers can make their own informed decisions.Contact ITE
Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) - Edition The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) defines the standards used by road managers in the United States to install and maintain traffic control devices on all streets and highways. Sections 2B.13-16 address regulatory speed limits and Section 2Caddresses advisory speed signs. School zone speed limit signs are discussed in Section 7B.11 and work zone speed limits in Section 6C.
A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets, 4th Edition - The 2001 “Green Book,” available June 2001, contains the latest design practices in universal use as the standard of highway geometric design. Contact ITE, or AASHTO.
Research
TRB Special Report #254, “Managing Speed: Review of Current Practice for Setting and Enforcing Speed Limits” - This special study examined current practice of setting speed limits and made recommendations. Bottom line: the panel of experts assembled by the Transportation Research Board found no “one size fits all” formula.
FHWA RD “&” T: Synthesis of Safety Research Related to Speed Management - This report presents a synthesis of research findings on the safety effects of speed, speed limits, enforcement, and engineering measures to manage speed. The report updates a similar synthesis published in 1982. A great deal of speed related research has been carried out since that time. This synthesis highlights the results of significant safety research related to speed completed since the last update. Some of the earlier benchmark studies are incorporated where appropriate. This report is a product of the FHWA-NHTSA Speed Management Team.
National Survey of Speeding and Other Unsafe Driving Actions - Information is available on public perception of issues related to speeding and other unsafe driving acts. NHTSA conducted a telephone survey in the spring of 1997 to learn about the public's experiences and beliefs about speeding and other unsafe driving actions. A total of 6,000 interviews were completed in this nationally representative survey of drivers.
FHWA Study Tour for Speed Management and Enforcement - [PDF, 10KB] - This paper documents the FHWA Study Tour for Speed Management and Enforcement Technology which surveyed speed management practices in the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, and Australia.
Assessment of Variable Speed Limit Implementation Issues - The FHWA is participating in a National Cooperative Highway Research Program ( NCHRP) on the Assessment of Variable Speed Limit (VSL) Issues. Variable speed limits are intended to allow reasonable and realistic speeds based on time of day, traffic conditions, weather conditions, construction or maintenance activities, and other factors that have been successfully used in Europe. See NCHRP Project 3-59.
State Speed Laws
The National Committee on Uniform Traffic Laws and Ordinances has posted a model law for jurisdictions to use in crafting automated enforcement laws.
How should realistic speed limits be set and enforced? This is the subject of much controversy. All States but HI (and DC) have now increased their speed limits above the NMSL limits. (A Summary of State Speed Laws is available).
Materials on Speed and Law Enforcement
Aggressive Driving
Speeding is often associated with aggressive driving. NHTSA maintains an aggressive driving page http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/portal/site/nhtsa/menuitem.67eecd05574f18227983419cdba046a0/ and a catalog http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/enforce/adsped.htm of information on aggressive driving compiled by a U.S. DOT interagency team (FHWA, NHTSA, FRA).
You will need the Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the PDF files.
