Results (
Thai) 1:
[Copy]Copied!
Excessive speed is considered to be a major contributing factor to motor vehicle crashes and is thus an important focus of highway enforcement efforts. In the U.S., the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that in 2003 speeding contributed to 30 percent of all fatal traffic crashes, in which 13,113 lives were lost (1). Moreover, the economic cost of these is estimated to be over 40 billion dollars per year (1). Automated speed enforcement is one tool that can be used to reduce roadway speeds and crashes. These programs combine radar and image capturing technologies to detect speeding and collect photographic evidence of violations (i.e., including a picture of a driver and/or license plate) that can be used to issue a citation. In the U.S., automated speed enforcement programs are currently operated in only 11 states and in Washington D.C., most of which are located on residential streets and not highways. Automated speed enforcement programs have been more widely applied in many countries outside the U.S. to effectively address speeding-related safety problems. This study explores the potential benefits and barriers to implementing automated speed enforcement programs in the U.S. by reviewing the relatively large body of literature on automated enforcement programs, including red-light and speed programs, in the U.S. and abroad. The core of the literature review is drawn from general overviews and case studies of automated enforcement programs published in academic journals, by governmental agencies, and by professional associations. When necessary, this information is supplemented with newspaper articles and reports by non-profit interest groups. The study begins with background on the implementation of automated speed enforcement inside and outside the U.S. and includes a discussion of research on the potential safety and financial effects of these programs. Next, the legal restrictions to the implementation of automated speed enforcement in the U.S. are outlined. This is followed by a discussion of stakeholder support including potential concerns of citizen, special interest groups, elected officials, and governmental agencies. Then, an evaluation of key program design choices is provided, encompassing issues related to owner or driver liability, manned or unmanned systems, mobile or fixed systems, visibility, location, enforcement thresholds, program management, and revenue distribution. The study concludes with a discussion of major findings from the literature review. It is hoped that the results of this study may provide some helpful insights to those considering implementation of automated speed enforcement programs in the U.S. by outlining (1) necessary conditions for automated speed enforcement program implementation; (2) design elements to help meet program goals under differing levels of stakeholder and legal support; and (3) critical trade-offs between the feasibility of implementation and program effectiveness.
Being translated, please wait..