INCREASE OF TRAFFIC SAFETY BY SURVEILLANCE OF SPEED LIMITS WITH AUTOMATIC RADAR DEVICES ON A DANGEROUS SECTION OF A GERMAN AUTOBAHN: A LONG-TERM INVESTIGATION

Experiences in the Federal Republic of Germany have indicated that the introduction of speed limits often has only a short-term effect on reducing speeds, and consequently the number of accidents, unless police regularly enforce the speed limits. Posted speed limits alone will not guarantee compliance. Only when backed up by strict police enforcement can speed limits both reduce speed and alleviate accidents. To examine the influence of speed limits by strict surveillances by police, one of the most dangerous downgrade Autobahn sections in the Federal Republic of Germany was equipped with lanerelated radar devices and additional DO NOT PASS signs for trucks. The results of a long-term investigation from 1970 to 1982 are as follows: (a) in 1971 the design speed was exceeded by most of the passenger cars in the left and middle lanes, whereas in 1981 few passenger cars exceeded the speed limit in either lane; (b) the 85th percentile speeds were reduced in all lanes for passenger cars and trucks, and a more uniform traffic flow was noted; (c) the accident frequency, as related to personal injury, was reduced by a ratio of 18:1 between 1971 and 1981, and the number of fatalities dramatically decreased; and (d) between 1974 and 1983 a total of 30 million German marks was paid in fines. The experiences have demonstrated that the common impact of reasonable lane-related speed limits and strict surveillance by police with automatic radar devices has had a decisively positive influence on driving behavior and accident reduction. The investigation period of more than 10 years appears to be long enough to verify that the improvements are permanent.

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1984/974/974-003.pdf
• Summary URL:
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  • Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. Publication of this paper sponsored by Committee on Traffic Law Enforcement.
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• Authors:
  • Lamm, Ruediger
  • Kloeckner, Juergen H
• Publication Date: 1984

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 8-16
• Monograph Title: POLICE TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT AND ALCOHOL COUNTERMEASURES
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 974
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Behavior; Drivers; Impact studies; Police; Radar; Safety; Speed limits; Surveillance; Traffic law enforcement; Traffic safety
• Identifier Terms: Autobahn
• Geographic Terms: Germany (West)
• Old TRIS Terms: Radar applications
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Safety and Human Factors; Security and Emergencies; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00394920
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309037565
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-038 631
• Files: HSL, TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Dec 31 1985 12:00AM