Traffic speed monitor surveys – can they help?
Speeding is a real problem on our roads – both urban and rural. Many drivers break the speed limits – particularly in 30 and 40mph zones – and the police use both fixed speed cameras and mobile speed units to monitor and control particularly difficult areas. In addition, long-term measures such as installing speed bumps to calm traffic can be used to reduce vehicle speed.
Of course, one of the reasons drivers speed is to get to where they are going as fast as possible. For many, this is because over-crowded roads, poor traffic planning and road works and repairs slow journeys down.
Do speed camera tickets work?
The Association for Chief Police Officers’ (ACPO) Speed Enforcement Policy Guidelines have been in place since 2011 and cover a period up to and including 2015. The guidelines observe that: “When a road looks and feels like the speed limit experience shows many will comply.” So in a heavily built-up 30mph area with schools and shops nearby, drivers are less likely to exceed the speed limit than on a road where there is little housing or building and no pedestrian activity.
The ACPO report says that policing speed limits is expensive, and signage should always be clear and appropriate, making it obvious to road users that compliance is expected. It also says that clear speed limits produce the following benefits:
Reduced casualties, both in terms of numbers and severity;
Reduced demand upon the Health Service;
Reduced conflict between motor vehicles and other road users;
A calmer and more free-flowing traffic environment; and
Improved quality of life in local communities
How do we control speed?
Police and local authorities tend to look for ways to reduce speeding without using additional manpower. These options include:
Lowering the speed limit where appropriate
Installing traffic speed humps
Adding traffic calming solutions
Installing speed cameras
If a section of road is particularly prone to speeding drivers, the police may set up a mobile speed unit either as a preventative or punitive measure, and most drivers who receive a speeding ticket will improve their driving as a result.
Traffic speed monitor surveys from RDS
Talk to us about our speed surveys and how they can help you to gather independent data on speeding in a particular area. We can also help with journey time surveys, so that you can see how and where to improve road conditions to promote smoother journeys and more reliable journey times.
