Effectiveness of portable speed warning signs

Speeding is a continual issue for road authorities to manage, especially on local streets and around schools. Speeding increases the required stopping distance of vehicles to avoid an accident. This in turn, results in increased occurrences of accidents and their associated severity. Speeding may be due to poor driver behaviours such as hooning, distracted drivers, or technical issues such as vehicle defects or not knowing basic road rules, for example, 50km/hr on local roads in South East Queensland. Brisbane City Council is taking a proactive approach by installing 26 portable speed warning signs on streets and roads to reduce speeding and help increase safety. The portable speed warning signs have been operational since November 2013 and in the 17 months up to the end of the March 2015, have subsequently captured 25.1 million motorists and advised them to slow down if driving over the posted speed limit. During the 17 months, the 26 signs have been moved around Brisbane 175 times. The data from each of these sites has shown a marked decrease in the number of motorists travelling over the speed limit as a consequence of being advised of their travelling speed.