EFFECTS OF ROAD FACTORS ON VEHICLE TRAVEL SPEED

The speed at which motorists choose to drive is a major component of their behavior on the road, and one that plays a leading role in the frequency and severity of incidents. In-depth accident studies in all over the world have identified inappropriate speed choice as being one of the factors most frequentlycontributing to accidents. However, the factors that affect the speeds adopted by individual drivers are less well understood, and there is a need for such information in order to develop more effective ways to modify drivers’ speed choice. The objectives of this study are to identify those factors a driver that aremost influential in determining his or her choice of speed, and to explore the links between these factorsand the speeds chosen. In this study a spot-speed study technique was used objectively. The speed characteristics analysis, motorists’ compliance and factors affecting their choice of speed analysis wereconducted subsequently and correlated to each. Results of analysis showed compliance to speed limit drops as the speed limit reduces. As a result, a simple linear regression procedure estimates that 37% of the variation in vehicle speeds can be explained by variables related to traffic control devices also, 38% of vehicle speed variation is explained by road environment and geometrics

Keywords:

Driver behaviour , Speed compliance , Road factors , Linear regression