The purpose of this study was to investigate whether driving speeds can be reduced by: (1) a publicity campaign; (2) placing signs along the road; (3) applying automatic enforcement; and (4) giving fines. The study is set up in the form of a before and after investigation (30 November 1990-30 June 1991). The speed management experiments were conducted on four 80 km/h roads in the Dutch provinces of Utrecht, North Brabant, Gelderland and Overijssel. With the help of speed measurements, the experiment was evaluated. The measurements on the experimental roads show: (i) a reduction of the average speed by 6 km/h; (ii) a decline of the number of accidents by 35%; and (iii) a decrease of the percentage of trespassers of the maximum speed from 38% to 11%. An important recommendation is that the systems used in the study should be continued in order to avoid temporary effects on the driving speed and the number of accidents.
Abstract