Research on Desired Speed under Speed Limit on Ordinary Highway

This paper analyzes the characteristics and patterns of the distributions of the desired speeds by collecting data of the vehicles and the drivers from 3 roads. It is pointed out that the desired speeds were influenced in different degrees by the speed limit, the age of the drivers, the performance of the vehicle, the characteristics of traffic flow, and the weather. The results indicate that the desired speed was based mainly on the speed limit, however, in the case of good road conditions with low speed limits; drivers still tend to drive with higher speed. With the decline in the speed limit, the impact of vehicle performance becomes smaller, while the driver's individual psychological condition and technological skills will give a greater impact on choosing driving speed. Meanwhile, based on the correlation between the speed limit and the desired speed, the step-wise regression model is developed.