THE EFFECT OF POLICE PRESENCE ON URBAN TRAFFIC SPEEDS

The report describes an experiment aimed at investigating the memory effect of the presence of an enforcement symbol. The experiment consisted of an enforcement symbol being present on chosen sites for a number of days in February and March 1982. During the first week police were present on four days and their presence was gradually reduced over the following weeks. Speed surveys were carried out before, during and after the enforcement period. The enforcement symbol used was a police officer in a stationary police car with a digidar radar unit. The enforcement procedure was used during one peak period and one off-peak period as it was thought that the behaviour of commuter and non-commuter drivers may differ. The results showed that for commuter drivers on some sites it is possible to produce a memory effect of enforcement. The effect lasted for at least three days after the enforcement had been removed. (Author/TRRL)

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0724070672
• Corporate Authors:

  Traffic Authority of New South Wales, Australia

  Traffic Accident Research Unit, 56 Rothschild Avenue
  Roseberry, New South Wales 2018,   Australia 
• Authors:
  • ARMOUR, M
• Publication Date: 1984-7

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 27 p.
• Serial:
  • Publication of: Traffic Authority of New South Wales, Australia
  • Publisher: Traffic Authority of New South Wales, Australia
  • ISSN: 0314-9846

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Before and after studies; Behavior; Commuters; Drivers; Hours; Law enforcement; Memory; Off peak periods; Peak hour traffic; Peak periods; Police; Police traffic services; Speed; Traffic; Traffic law enforcement; Traffic speed; Traffic surveys; Urban areas
• Geographic Terms: Australia
• Old TRIS Terms: Off-peak traffic
• ITRD Terms: 8006: Australia; 9148: Before and after study; 9001: Behaviour; 1772: Driver; 1534: Enforcement (law); 611: Off peak hour; 612: Peak hour; 1522: Police; 5408: Speed; 676: Traffic survey; 313: Urban area
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Passenger Transportation; Safety and Human Factors; Security and Emergencies; I73: Traffic Control; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00392332
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: ARRB
• ISBN: 0-7240-7067-2
• Report/Paper Numbers: RN 3/84 Monograph
• Files: ITRD, TRIS, ATRI
• Created Date: Mar 29 1985 12:00AM