Evaluation of the Radar Speed Cameras and Panels Indicating the Vehicles’ Speed as Traffic Calming Measures (TCM) in Short Length Urban Areas Located along Rural Roads

Heriberto Pérez-Acebo, Robert Ziolkowski and Hernán Gonzalo-Orden
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Heriberto Pérez-Acebo: Mechanical Engineering Department, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, P° Rafael Moreno Pitxitxi, 2, 48013 Bilbao, Spain
Robert Ziolkowski: Faculty of Civil and Environmental Sciences, Bialystok University of Technology, Wiejska 45A, 15-351 Bialystok, Poland
Hernán Gonzalo-Orden: Department of Civil Engineering, University of Burgos, c/Villadiego, s/n, 09001 Burgos, Spain

Energies, 2021, vol. 14, issue 23, 1-17

Abstract: Traffic calming measures (TCMs) are implemented in urban areas to reduce vehicles’ speed and, generally speaking, results are obtained. However, speed is still a problem in rural roads crossing small villages without a bypass and with short-length urban areas, since drivers do not normally reduce their speed for that short segment. Hence, various TCM can be installed. It is necessary to maintain a calm area in these short segments to improve road safety, especially for pedestrian aiming to cross the road, and to save combustible by avoiding a constant increase-decrease of speed. Four villages were selected to evaluate the efficiency of radar speed cameras and panels indicating vehicle’s speed. Results showed that the presence of radar speed cameras reduces the speed in the direction they can fine, but with a lower effect in the non-fining direction. Additionally, a positive effect was observed in the fining direction in other points, such as pedestrian crossings. Nevertheless, the effect does not last long and speed cameras may be considered as punctual measures. If the TCMs are placed far from the start of the village they are not respected. Hence, it is recommended to place them near the real start of the build-up area. Lastly, it was verified that longer urban areas make overall speed decrease. However, when drivers feel that they are arriving to the end of the urban area, due to the inexistence of buildings, they start speeding up.

Keywords: traffic calming measure; radar speed camera; urban area; road safety; rural roads; pedestrian; crosswalk (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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