A Series of Vertical Deflections, a Promising Traffic Calming Measure: Analysis and Recommendations for Spacing

Heriberto Pérez-Acebo,Hernán Gonzalo-Orden,Robert Ziółkowski,Alaitz Linares-Unamunzaga

doi:10.3390/app10103368

Heriberto Pérez-Acebo, Hernán Gonzalo-Orden + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/app10103368

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Abstract

Traffic calming measures (TCM) are placed in urban areas to improve road safety, and among them, vertical TCMs are widely employed. Many researches are focused on the influence of the geometry of each measure on speed reduction, but it is demonstrated that drivers forget its effect and speed up after it. Therefore, placing consecutive TCMs can help to maintain a safe area. However, scarce literature can be found about the adequate spacing between them. Hence, the aim of this paper is to analyze the adequate distance between TCMs. Various streets with variable distances and different vertical TCMs were evaluated in Poland and Spain, including raised crosswalks, raised intersections, speed humps and speed cushions. The intermediate point between two TCMs was selected as the place where the maximum speed is achieved. Results showed that there was a good correlation between the speeds at intermediate points and the distance between TCMs, with a determination coefficient around 0.80. For an 85th percentile of the speed under 50 km/h, a maximum distance of 200 m between TCMs is recommended, and for a value of 40 km/h, 75 m.

Highlights

In spite of the important decrease recorded in the total number of fatalities in road traffic during the last decades in developed countries, road safety remains a major problem in all countries, and is even considered a public health concern [1,2,3,4]
Approximate values were registered in the middle points between the Street, a similar effect be observed in similar points hand, TCMS: range from
traffic calming measures (TCM) were not the same, similar values were obtained for the average speed speed limit was respected by more than 85% of the drivers and only very few exceeded the

Summary

Introduction

In spite of the important decrease recorded in the total number of fatalities in road traffic during the last decades in developed countries, road safety remains a major problem in all countries, and is even considered a public health concern [1,2,3,4]. 28,500 fatalities was aimed to achieve and a total of 31,802 deaths was registered. The objective for 2020 is to achieve a maximum value of 15,750 fatalities. In the EU in the period 2007–2016, in urban areas the fatality reduction (37.7%) has not been so important as in non-urban areas (41.6%), increasing its percentage of the total [7,8] and this trend was observed in the period 2004–2013 [9]

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