In order to achieve the interim target for road safety it is necessary that compliance of speed limits increases at the road network. VTI has been commissioned by the Swedish Transport Administration to analyse major problems and challenges concerning velocity, and to identify key areas for action. Through a review of available knowledge about speed, and gain of new knowledge from focus group discussions it was found that different types of incentives are needed for both private motorists and professional drivers to hold the speed. Both education and information are important to motivate the driver to act correctly and create a norm in society that deprecates speed violations. However, this should occur in combination with speed monitoring and technical measures. The author found that both the understanding of speed limits and the awareness of the dangers of high speeds are inadequate. This may be due to that serious accidents very rarely occur in an individual’s surroundings. Therefore people do not calculate this risk. However, there is awareness of that one should respect the lower speed limits in areas where vulnerable road users are. This awareness may be possible to use when measures are implemented. High speeds are positive for a lot of people: better mobility, high enjoyment and more comfortable driving better suited to other traffic. Many drivers also have difficulty in seeing the connection between road design and speed limit, despite the comprehensive review of speed limits which has been undertaken by the Swedish Transport Administration. It is clear that additional incentives are required to achieve greater compliance with speed limits. The individual must win something to keep the speed limits. It could be about making financial gain by saving money on fuel consumption or lower insurance costs. Avoiding fines can also be seen as an economic gain. For fines to have effect a real risk of detection is required. On roads with speed cameras there is an awareness of detection risk. However, today speed cameras in Sweden are not a measure that influences the motorcyclists. Concerning heavy traffic, our analysis shows that it should be possible to achieve improvements by imposing more stringent requirements in procurements, by introducing different types of certifications and instruments as well as having systematic follow-ups and controls. It is also important that schedules and timetables the drivers have to comply with, do not presuppose that the speed limits have to be exceeded. This is also linked with the rules of driving- and rest times and the ability to take breaks. Here it is important to consider if the current actions can be improved or if it is possible to find new ways of working. Technical solutions such as ISA (Intelligent Speed Adaption) are an opportunity to achieve better compliance with speed limits, but financial incentives may be required for introduction on a larger scale. Environmental awareness in the society is growing and through this it is important to get the message across about how speed affects fuel consumption and carbon emissions. (Author/publisher) This report may be accessed by Internet users at http://www.vti.se/en/publications/road-traffic-speeds--status-attitudes…
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