COMPLIANCE OF SAFER SPEEDS WITH VARYING LEVELS OF ENGINEERING AND OTHER INTERVENTIONS

A key element of the Safer Journeys national road safety strategy is safer speeds. In most cases this means lower speeds, both urban and rural. This research considers the level of compliance of reduced speed limits and forms part of a NZTA research project on the compliance and acceptance of safer speeds. It examines information from a number of speed limit changes around the country, including 30kph speed limits in town centres and along strip shopping, 40kph speed limits on suburban streets and 80 and 90kph speed limits on mountainous and flat State Highways and local road. The before and after assessment reported in this paper considers some or all of the following; change in mean speed, 85%ile speeds, speed variance and the number of drivers over the speed limit. Working with Councils and NZTA three new speed limit case studies are to be selected and monitored before and after treatment in the ongoing research programme. In addition to infrastructure changes and the new speed limit signs, the impact of police enforcement and speed trailers will be assessed. A web survey is also being undertaken to understand drivers acceptance of reduced speed limits. This paper outlines the findings of the literature review and the before and after studies of speed limits changes undertaken by other transport professionals. The paper then outlines the work that is proposed during the rest of the research.