Advancing Self-Explaining Streets Phase 2: Evaluating the Use of Roadway Design Elements and Target Speeds to Reduce Operating Speed

Speeding contributes to one-third of fatalities on roadways in Illinois, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation. One way to reduce speeding is the use of self-explaining roads (also referred to as self-enforcing roads), which use visual cues and physical layouts to control speeds. Using self-explaining roads can encourage drivers to adopt appropriate speeds based on a road’s characteristics and features, reducing the risk of crashes and improving overall safety. Researchers will identify how various roadway characteristics reduce speeding and crashes as well as develop a model to predict their relationship. They will conduct a before-and-after study to evaluate the effectiveness of self-explaining roads strategies across urban, suburban and rural settings. The findings of this study will inform how practice and guidance can be improved to implement self-explaining roadways.

    Language

    • English

    Project

    • Status: Active
    • Funding: $300,000.00
    • Contract Numbers:

      R27-279

    • Sponsor Organizations:

      Illinois Department of Transportation

      Bureau of Materials and Physical Research
      126 East Ash Street
      Springfield, IL  United States  62704-4766
    • Managing Organizations:

      University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

      Illinois Center for Transportation
      1611 Titan Drive
      Rantoul, IL  United States  61866
    • Principal Investigators:

      Talebpour, Alireza

    • Start Date: 20250701
    • Expected Completion Date: 20270630
    • Actual Completion Date: 0

    Subject/Index Terms

    Filing Info

    • Accession Number: 01959811
    • Record Type: Research project
    • Source Agency: Illinois Department of Transportation
    • Contract Numbers: R27-279
    • Files: RIP, STATEDOT
    • Created Date: Jun 30 2025 5:01PM