A major traffic safety problem exists in Europe because many road users do not comply with speed limits. Therefore, researchers at the Department of Traffic Planning and Engineering at Lund Institute of Technology in Sweden have developed a method for controlling speed at the source, that is, in the vehicle. This method involves use of a speed limiter (SL). At every change of existing speed limit, a sender emits impulses. Each vehicle is equipped with a receiver able to understand these impulses, automatically limiting the vehicle's maximum speed to the speed limit in question. This concept sounds utopic, and there is not the slightest chance of introducing an SL into road traffic unless the advantages, from safety and environmental viewpoints, clearly outweigh the possible disadvantages. Hypotheses about the SL's major impact on traffic were developed through a literature study, roundtable discussions, and self-observation studies. In addition to objective safety, these hypotheses concern security, travel time, road net capacity, energy consumption, air pollution, and noise. External test drivers are currently being chosen for behaviour observations and interviews. Their attitudes concerning several safety aspects will be measured, then groups of drivers will use the SL for different lengths of time. After driving, they will be interviewed again about their attitude toward the SL and its practical use. Along with the field experiments, estimates will be made on aggregated levels. The results of these studies will be used in planning and designing a large-scale experiment that will be held as an option, unless there is a surprising change of status quo in the official attitude concerning an SL system.
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