MASTER - Managing the Speed of Traffic on European Roads
Overview
Background & policy context:
The contribution of vehicle speed to accidents, causing death and injury is a major concern in road traffic. Several studies have confirmed the positive influence of reduced driving speeds on the number and severity of accidents. Besides a car's absolute speed, the speed variance on a given road significantly contributes to the accident rate. Lower and more even speeds in road traffic would reduce the overall number of accidents and mitigate their consequences. However, as an integral part of a speed management scheme, the impacts of speed reduction on e.g. average journey times, vehicle-operating costs, emissions and noise have to be taken into account.
Objectives:
MASTER aimed to produce information that can be used in the preparation of speed management strategies and policies at a European or national level. The project targeted the need to enhance guidelines for the development of innovative speed management tools.
The main objectives of MASTER have been to answer the following questions:
- What are the acceptable ranges of speeds (for several road types)?
- What are the main factors influencing a driver's choice of speed?
- What are the best speed management tools and strategies?
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