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                        Speed Management: A Manual for Local Rural Road Owners


            
            In This Section
        Local and Rural Road Safety Program
                Training, Tools, Guidance and Countermeasures for Locals Practitioners
                Crash Facts
                
                1. Introduction
1.1 Background

Speeding is defined as *exceeding posted speed limits or driving too fast for conditions*. This is a behavior that some drivers engage in without recognizing the risks or seriously considering the consequences. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the consequences of excessive speed include the following:*(1)*

Greater potential for loss of vehicle control, which may result in a crash.
	Reduced effectiveness of occupant protection equipment.
	Increased stopping distance after the driver perceives a danger.
	Increased degree of crash severity leading to more fatalities and disabling injuries.
	Unexpected economic and even psychological implications of a speed-related crash.
	Increased fuel consumption and cost.The most serious consequences of speeding are the fatalities and serious injuries that result from crashes. Over the last ten years, speeding has been consistently identified as a contributing factor in nearly one-third of all roadway fatalities nationwide. Crashes involving speeding occur on all road types but are particularly prevalent on the local rural road system. The local road system refers to locally owned and maintained roads in rural areas. Of the 30,196 fatal crashes occurring on all road types in 2010, 35.4 percent—or 10,689—occurred on local rural roads, with nearly one-third (3,427) of these involving speeding.*(2)* As the speed increases, the likelihood of a crash resulting in a serious injury or fatality also increases.

Addressing this safety issue can be a challenge for local roadway agencies because of their limited resources. Nonetheless, all agencies, regardless of size and resources, can develop a comprehensive and coordinated program to address speeding.

1.2 Purpose

This document provides information on how to develop a Speed Management Program that is tailored to meet the needs of local rural road practitioners. A Speed Management Program can be effective in lowering the number of speeding crashes and the resulting fatalities and serious injuries on local rural roads. This document describes the various elements of a Speed Management Program, including the principles of setting speed limits appropriate for roads within the jurisdiction and various countermeasures that are effective in mitigating speeding as it relates to roadway safety in rural areas.

The following terms are commonly used in speed literature and discussions. Other references may use or define these terms somewhat differently as defined and used in this publication.*(3)****Design Speed*** – the speed established as part of the geometric design process for a specific roadway.***Operating Speed*** – the speeds at which vehicles are observed operating during free flow conditions. Free flow conditions occur when vehicles are unimpeded by traffic control devices (e.g. traffic signals) or other vehicles in the traffic stream.***Posted Speed*** –the maximum lawful vehicle speed for a particular location as displayed on a regulatory sign. Posted speeds are displayed on regulatory signs in speed values that are multiples of 5 mph.***Statutory Speed*** – numerical speed limits (e.g. 25 mph, 55 mph), established by state law that apply to various classes or categories of roads (e.g. rural expressways, residential streets, gravel roads, primary arterials, etc.) in the absence of posted speed limits.

The intended audience is comprised of the local practitioners who have responsibility for the operation and maintenance of their road network and the safety of its users. This manual provides basic information to assist local road practitioners in assessing speeding problems and developing appropriate countermeasures. It is not, however, a comprehensive discussion of all aspects of speeding and speed management, and, therefore, local practitioners should seek technical advice from their State Department of Transportation (DOT), Governor’s Highway Safety Office (GHSO), or Local or Tribal Technical Assistance Program (LTAP or TTAP). The Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA’s) Office of Safety Web site lists numerous resources that provide information on implementing a successful Speed Management Program.*(4)*

1.3 Speed Management Program

A Speed Management Program is a strategy that addresses the concern of unlawful and undesirable speeds at a specific location, along a corridor, or within a jurisdiction’s road network. The program should be comprehensive, addressing all factors that influence speeding: public awareness, user behavior, roadway design, surrounding land uses, traffic conditions, posted speed limits, and enforcement. Therefore, the program should encompass engineering, enforcement, education, and emergency services—known as the four E’s of safety—when appropriate.

**Engineering** is used to accomplish the following:

	Establish speed limits that are appropriate to the primary purpose of the road, provide a balance between mobility and safety for all roadway users, and meet all state or local legal requirements.
		Design roads that produce desired speeds.
		Introduce physical countermeasures to create a self-regulating roadway that induces drivers to travel at the desired speed.
	**Enforcement** encompasses the actions taken by appropriate empowered authorities to check that drivers of motor vehicles are complying with the legal posted speed limit. Various countermeasures are used by law enforcement to deter motorists from speeding.
	**Education** entails providing information to drivers about their travel speeds and safety issues associated with speeding and to heighten their awareness of enforcement countermeasures that are designed to curtail speeding.
	**Emergency Services,** also known as emergency medical services (EMS), include quick response to crash locations and attention to victims to minimize the severity of the crash.A Speed Management Program will generally follow the four-step process illustrated in Figure 1 and outlined below.

"Figure. This diagram illustrates the speed management process. The first step is to identify speeding issues and determine partner agencies (which can be found in section 2 of this guide). The second step is to identify countermeasures and can be found in section 3 of this guide. Step 3 is to implement countermeasures and step 4 is to evaluate projects and/or programs, both of which can be found in section 4 of the guide. This process should be repeated periodically."

**Figure 1. Speed Management Program Process.**

**Step 1—Identify speeding issues.** A review of crash data, coupled with site reviews and public input, is needed to determine if there is a speeding issue and, if so, to what extent and from what causes. Partner agencies will play an integral role in addressing speeding and should be identified for coordination in moving forward with a Speed Management Program. Specific goals should be set once the issue has been identified.
	**Step 2—Select countermeasures**. Identify engineering, enforcement, and education countermeasures that may address the problem.**Benefits of a Speed Management Program**

Reduced fatalities and serious injuries from speeding-related crashes.
	Greater potential for motorists to avoid a crash.
	Enhanced safety for pedestrians, cyclists, and other vulnerable road users.
	Driving population educated on the risks and consequences of speeding .
	Enhanced community-wide safety culture, where safety is a top priority.**Step 3—Implement countermeasures.** The identified countermeasures will need to be prioritized, funded, and implemented in a systematic way.
	**Step 4—Evaluate progress.** Individual countermeasures or projects should be evaluated to determine the progress being made towards achieving the goals that were established for the entire Speed Management Program.Steps 1 through 4 are continuously pursued with appropriate adjustments made based on the progress. This four-step process is described in more detail in the subsequent sections of the guide.

1.4 Agency Partnerships

Collaboration and coordination between agencies are essential in addressing speeding and speed-related crashes at any level of government and even more so at the local community level. With limited resources, pooling resources will benefit the Speed Management Program in addressing the speed-related crashes. Among the agencies to engage at this stage of the process in order to develop partnerships are law enforcement and/or public safety, local and county engineering department, public works department, and State DOT. The level of involvement in the process will depend on the nature of the speeding issue(s) identified. In many instances it may be beneficial to convene a Speed Management working group. Bringing the right agencies or individuals together to be part of a working group will help foster a long-term commitment and build momentum to implement the plan. A successful Speed Management Program will typically have different roles shared by different agencies.

Local rural practitioners may also decide to notify relevant elected officials of the speeding issues and the steps being taken to address them. Elected officials can encourage partner agencies to participate in the process, assist with policy requirements, and obtain funds for the implementation of identified countermeasures. For example, if a village in a rural area identifies a speeding issue on a county road within the village, it should consider partnering with the county highway department and the local police or sheriff’s department to address the issue.
      
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                    2. IDENTIFY SPEEDING ISSUES ›
                
                Book:Speed Management: A Manual for Local Rural Road Owners
              1. Introduction
                2. IDENTIFY SPEEDING ISSUES
                3. IDENTIFYING COUNTERMEASURES
                4. IMPLEMENTING COUNTERMEASURES
                5. SUMMARY
                References U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

**Federal Highway Administration**

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WASHINGTON, DC 20590

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