The Interrelationships between Speed Limits, Geometry, and Driver Behavior

The relationship between speed and safety continues to be a high-priority research topic as numerous states consider speed limit increases. This study leveraged data from the Second Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP2) Naturalistic Driving Study (NDS) to examine various aspects of driver behavior, including speed limit selection and engagement with in-vehicle distractions, as well as the impacts of these behaviors on crash risk while controlling for the effects of traffic, geometric, and environmental conditions. High-resolution time-series data were analyzed to examine how drivers adapt their speed on roadways with different posted limits, in speed limit transition areas where increases or decreases occur, as well as along horizontal curves, both with and without posted advisory speeds. The research also involved an investigation of the circumstances under which driver distraction is most prevalent. The factors associated with crash and near-crash events were compared with similar data from normal, baseline driving events across various scenarios to improve understanding of the nature of the precipitating events. Driver responses, including reaction times and deceleration rates, were examined during the course of crash and near-crash events to determine how driver response varied across various scenarios. Ultimately, this research provided important insights as to how drivers adapt their behavior and how these behaviors, in turn, influence the likelihood of being crash involved.

Language

English

Project

Status: Completed
Funding: $50000
Contract Numbers:
DTRT13-G-UTC37
Sponsor Organizations:
Midwest Transportation Center

Iowa State University
2711 S Loop Drive, Suite 4700
Ames, IA United States 50010-8664

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

University Transportation Centers Program
Department of Transportation
Washington, DC United States 20590
Performing Organizations:
Iowa State University, Ames

Institute for Transportation
2711 South Loop Drive, Suite 4700
Ames, Iowa United States 50010-8664
Principal Investigators:
Savolainen, Peter
Start Date: 20160515
Expected Completion Date: 20181130
Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

TRT Terms: Crash causes; Crash characteristics; Crash data; Safety; Safety factors; Speed; Speed limits; Traffic
Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Safety and Human Factors; Transportation (General);

Filing Info

Accession Number: 01607452
Record Type: Research project
Source Agency: Midwest Transportation Center
Contract Numbers: DTRT13-G-UTC37
Files: UTC, RiP
Created Date: Aug 4 2016 3:43PM