Before a driver can comply with a speed limit he must be informed what that speed limit is. The extent to which drivers did know what the speed limit was at four sites was investigated. Three of the sites were in a 30 mile/h speed limit and one site was in a 40 mile/h limit. Overall, 74 per cent of drivers gave the correct limit when asked but 26 per cent were unable to do so. Drivers were rather more likely to cite the correct speed limit in the 40 mile/h area and the repeater signs may be responsible for this. Interviews showed that the drivers relied to a large extent on speed limit signs to inform them of the speed limit and relatively few drivers were aware of the significance of the presence or absence of street lighting. Speed measurements on 'free-movers' showed that those who identified the limit correctly were rather more likely to comply with it. (Author/publisher)
Abstract