Evaluation of the Radar Speed Cameras and Panels Indicating the Vehicles’ Speed as Traffic Calming Measures (TCM) in Short Length Urban Areas Located along Rural Roads

Traffic calming measures (TCMs) are implemented in urban areas to reduce vehicles’ speed and, generally speaking, results are obtained. However, speed is still a problem in rural roads crossing small villages without a bypass and with short-length urban areas, since drivers do not normally reduce th...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Heriberto Pérez-Acebo, Robert Ziolkowski, Hernán Gonzalo-Orden
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-12-01
Series:Energies
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/23/8146
_version_ 1797507863863623680
author Heriberto Pérez-Acebo
Robert Ziolkowski
Hernán Gonzalo-Orden
author_facet Heriberto Pérez-Acebo
Robert Ziolkowski
Hernán Gonzalo-Orden
author_sort Heriberto Pérez-Acebo
collection DOAJ
description Traffic calming measures (TCMs) are implemented in urban areas to reduce vehicles’ speed and, generally speaking, results are obtained. However, speed is still a problem in rural roads crossing small villages without a bypass and with short-length urban areas, since drivers do not normally reduce their speed for that short segment. Hence, various TCM can be installed. It is necessary to maintain a calm area in these short segments to improve road safety, especially for pedestrian aiming to cross the road, and to save combustible by avoiding a constant increase-decrease of speed. Four villages were selected to evaluate the efficiency of radar speed cameras and panels indicating vehicle’s speed. Results showed that the presence of radar speed cameras reduces the speed in the direction they can fine, but with a lower effect in the non-fining direction. Additionally, a positive effect was observed in the fining direction in other points, such as pedestrian crossings. Nevertheless, the effect does not last long and speed cameras may be considered as punctual measures. If the TCMs are placed far from the start of the village they are not respected. Hence, it is recommended to place them near the real start of the build-up area. Lastly, it was verified that longer urban areas make overall speed decrease. However, when drivers feel that they are arriving to the end of the urban area, due to the inexistence of buildings, they start speeding up.
first_indexed 2024-03-10T04:54:29Z
format Article
id doaj.art-994ac5f83ef143809ca2affcaeefbcb4
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1996-1073
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-10T04:54:29Z
publishDate 2021-12-01
publisher MDPI AG
record_format Article
series Energies
spelling doaj.art-994ac5f83ef143809ca2affcaeefbcb42023-11-23T02:23:22ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732021-12-011423814610.3390/en14238146Evaluation of the Radar Speed Cameras and Panels Indicating the Vehicles’ Speed as Traffic Calming Measures (TCM) in Short Length Urban Areas Located along Rural RoadsHeriberto Pérez-Acebo0Robert Ziolkowski1Hernán Gonzalo-Orden2Mechanical Engineering Department, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, P° Rafael Moreno Pitxitxi, 2, 48013 Bilbao, SpainFaculty of Civil and Environmental Sciences, Bialystok University of Technology, Wiejska 45A, 15-351 Bialystok, PolandDepartment of Civil Engineering, University of Burgos, c/Villadiego, s/n, 09001 Burgos, SpainTraffic calming measures (TCMs) are implemented in urban areas to reduce vehicles’ speed and, generally speaking, results are obtained. However, speed is still a problem in rural roads crossing small villages without a bypass and with short-length urban areas, since drivers do not normally reduce their speed for that short segment. Hence, various TCM can be installed. It is necessary to maintain a calm area in these short segments to improve road safety, especially for pedestrian aiming to cross the road, and to save combustible by avoiding a constant increase-decrease of speed. Four villages were selected to evaluate the efficiency of radar speed cameras and panels indicating vehicle’s speed. Results showed that the presence of radar speed cameras reduces the speed in the direction they can fine, but with a lower effect in the non-fining direction. Additionally, a positive effect was observed in the fining direction in other points, such as pedestrian crossings. Nevertheless, the effect does not last long and speed cameras may be considered as punctual measures. If the TCMs are placed far from the start of the village they are not respected. Hence, it is recommended to place them near the real start of the build-up area. Lastly, it was verified that longer urban areas make overall speed decrease. However, when drivers feel that they are arriving to the end of the urban area, due to the inexistence of buildings, they start speeding up.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/23/8146traffic calming measureradar speed cameraurban arearoad safetyrural roadspedestrian
spellingShingle Heriberto Pérez-Acebo
Robert Ziolkowski
Hernán Gonzalo-Orden
Evaluation of the Radar Speed Cameras and Panels Indicating the Vehicles’ Speed as Traffic Calming Measures (TCM) in Short Length Urban Areas Located along Rural Roads
Energies
traffic calming measure
radar speed camera
urban area
road safety
rural roads
pedestrian
title Evaluation of the Radar Speed Cameras and Panels Indicating the Vehicles’ Speed as Traffic Calming Measures (TCM) in Short Length Urban Areas Located along Rural Roads
title_full Evaluation of the Radar Speed Cameras and Panels Indicating the Vehicles’ Speed as Traffic Calming Measures (TCM) in Short Length Urban Areas Located along Rural Roads
title_fullStr Evaluation of the Radar Speed Cameras and Panels Indicating the Vehicles’ Speed as Traffic Calming Measures (TCM) in Short Length Urban Areas Located along Rural Roads
title_full_unstemmed Evaluation of the Radar Speed Cameras and Panels Indicating the Vehicles’ Speed as Traffic Calming Measures (TCM) in Short Length Urban Areas Located along Rural Roads
title_short Evaluation of the Radar Speed Cameras and Panels Indicating the Vehicles’ Speed as Traffic Calming Measures (TCM) in Short Length Urban Areas Located along Rural Roads
title_sort evaluation of the radar speed cameras and panels indicating the vehicles speed as traffic calming measures tcm in short length urban areas located along rural roads
topic traffic calming measure
radar speed camera
urban area
road safety
rural roads
pedestrian
url https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/23/8146
work_keys_str_mv AT heribertoperezacebo evaluationoftheradarspeedcamerasandpanelsindicatingthevehiclesspeedastrafficcalmingmeasurestcminshortlengthurbanareaslocatedalongruralroads
AT robertziolkowski evaluationoftheradarspeedcamerasandpanelsindicatingthevehiclesspeedastrafficcalmingmeasurestcminshortlengthurbanareaslocatedalongruralroads
AT hernangonzaloorden evaluationoftheradarspeedcamerasandpanelsindicatingthevehiclesspeedastrafficcalmingmeasurestcminshortlengthurbanareaslocatedalongruralroads