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Engineering appropriate speed limits noir is easier and more consistent, thanks to a powerful soft ira re toot catted USUM1TS2.
Speeding-whether driving in excess of the posted speed limit or simply traveling too fast for road conditions-is a factor in an estimated one-third of all fatal crashes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Although agreement is almost universal on the relationship between speed and crash severity (the higher the crash speed, the more serious the resulting injuries and property damage), the relationship between speed and the probability of a crash is more complicated. Higher speeds require longer stopping distances and thus possibly result in more crashes. However, crash risk also involves a multitude of other factors, including roadway and environmental conditions as well as driver attitudes and behavioral traits that are independent of speed.
Unlike other driver behaviors that can have a negative impact on safety, such as distracted driving, speed is also associated with positive benefits, including reduced travel times, greater mobility, and increased economic productivity due to lower transport and inventory costs and larger market areas. Thus, speed management involves balancing safety and efficiency in travel.
Posting speed limits is the most widely used method for managing speed, yet they are only effective if set at the maximum reasonable and safe speed. The apparent subjectivity of the process of setting speed limits, however, can lead to inconsistencies in posted speeds within and between jurisdictions. This can also make it difficult to defend decisions on speed zoning when public pressure comes to bear.
In 2012, the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) Office of Safety released an updated version of USLIMITS2, a Web-based software program designed to assist State and local agencies in setting appropriate- defined as safe, credible, consistent, and enforceable-speed limits. The following is a refresher on the science behind speed limits and a glimpse at how some States are using this software to improve their processes for setting speed limits.
Legal Framework For Speed Limits
As described in the Transportation Research Board's (TRB) Special Report 254, Managing Speed: Review of Current Practice for Setting and Enforcing Speed Limits, published in 1998, motorists continually make decisions about appropriate driving speeds by factoring in the amount of risk they are willing to...