The characteristics of road accidents related to speed are examined and two broad categories defined. The first involves injury to occupants of cars where speed is in excess of posted limits and the second, larger category involves accidents to pedestrians, cyclists and moped riders. In considering the road hierarchy recommended by the draft Guidelines on Urban Safety Management it is found that the former relate to roads at the top of the hierarchy and the latter to residential and access roads and different treatments need to be applied to each. The use of traffic calming and speed reducing measures in urban areas is then discussed. The experience of northern European countries is outlined and the prospects for traffic calming in Britain, following the proposed introduction of road humps and 20 mph zones, assessed. The results of `traffic severence' schemes and the `Five Towns' Urban Safety Project are noted. The likely costs of traffic calming schemes are outlined and the author emphasises the need for sufficient capital and staff resources to be allocated. For the covering abstract of the conference see IRRD 843582.
Abstract