Over the past decades, society and individuals have benefited greatly from rapidly improving road systems. During the same period, industry has manufactured and sold motor vehicles able to travel at increasingly high speeds. Higher speed vehicle transport has contributed to the economic development of OECD/ECMT countries, facilitated access to employment and services such as entertainment, shopping, education and medical/hospital care and has in turn widened opportunities for housing and work locations. Increased motor vehicle speed has therefore improved in these respects the general quality of life. On the other hand, these higher vehicle speeds have had major adverse impacts, principally in terms of road accidents and consequent death, injury, and material damage, but also in environmental terms including noise and exhaust emissions and in terms of the liveability of residential and urban areas. This document outlines the key findings of the Joint OECD/ECMT Transport Research Centre's (JTRC) current research project on Speed Management. (Author/publisher)
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