Assessing a Two-Step Posted Speed Reduction as a Potential Countermeasure to Improve Safety in School Zones Using Driving Simulation
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), speeding is a major contributory factor of severe injuries and deaths in school zones. In a study performed at University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez (UPRM), data showed that in 68% of schools in the western region of Puerto Rico (PR), the average speed of users was higher than the posted speed limit and that in 89% of the schools the 85th percentile of the speed was higher than the posted speed limit. A research was made to assess the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) guidelines on where to install signs that alert the driver to slow down and reduce their speed. Although several countermeasures decreased speeding, true compliance with the speed limit was not obtained. To address this issue, the University of Central Florida, developed and tested four countermeasures that could possibly reduce the speeding in school zones. The microsimulation data reported that significant compliance of speed limit was obtained through the implementation of a Two-Step Reduction (TSR). Therefore, speeding in school zones can be reduced through the application of the TSR method. The objective of this study is to analyze the effectiveness of Two-Step Reduction countermeasure in school zones using a driving simulator. A school zone located in the western region of Puerto Rico will be used as a case of study, considering the speeding issues that currently exists due to the proximity to the PR-2, which is a six-lane arterial highway with a posted speed limit of 45 mph. It is expected that this research will significantly improve safety and operational parameters for all road users in the school zone.
- Record URL:
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Supplemental Notes:
- Received 6 mo. no-cost extension due to COVID-19
Language
- English
Project
- Status: Completed
- Funding: $18485
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Contract Numbers:
69A3551747131
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Sponsor Organizations:
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology
University Transportation Centers Program
Department of Transportation
Washington, DC United States 20590 -
Managing Organizations:
University of Iowa, Iowa City
National Advanced Driving Simulator, 2401 Oakdale Blvd
Iowa City, IA United States 52242-5003 -
Performing Organizations:
University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez
Department of Civil Engineering and Surveying
PO Box 9000
Mayagüez PR 00681-9000, PR United States 00681-9000 -
Principal Investigators:
Valdes Diaz, Didier
- Start Date: 20190601
- Expected Completion Date: 20210601
- Actual Completion Date: 0
- USDOT Program: University Transportation Centers
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Case studies; Countermeasures; Driving simulators; Schools; Speed control; Speed limits; Speed zones
- Geographic Terms: Puerto Rico
- Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Safety and Human Factors;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 01699803
- Record Type: Research project
- Source Agency: Safety Research Using Simulation University Transportation Center (SaferSim)
- Contract Numbers: 69A3551747131
- Files: UTC, RIP
- Created Date: Mar 26 2019 7:48PM