SPEED LIMITS AND ENERGY CONSUMPTION. PART II: RESULTS OF THE CALCULATIONS

Hastighetsbegränsningar och energiförbrukning. Del II : Beräkningsresultat

In early 1981 the nordic governmental committee for transport questions (naet) suggested the start of a project titled "speed limits and energy consumption". The initial stage was a literature study which was published in vti meddelande 410 (see IRRD 281724) together with a proposed plan for the rest of the project. The plan included use of a computerized model developed at the Swedish road and traffic research institute. With this model it is possible to calculate fuel consumption for different vehicle types on roads with different standards and different speed limits. The results of these calculations are presented in this report. A reduction in the calculated fuel consumption on rural roads of about 12% appears to be the greatest possible saving that can be achieved by introducing lower speed limits for example 60 km/h on motorways and 50 km/h on other roads. Since the fuel consumption on rural roads in Sweden constitutes slightly more than half of the total consumption by road traffic, the calculated fuel savings as a percentage of total consumption must be almost halved. In Denmark and Finland this percentage would be the same as in Sweden but in Norway only half, again because of an already low speed level. It should be noted that the calculations do not take into account the influence that large changes in speed limits might have on travel patterns and car utilization. (a)

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/03476030
• Corporate Authors:

  Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute (VTI)

  Linköping,   Sweden  SE-581 95
• Authors:
  • Öberg, Gudrun
  • Carlsen, G V
  • Salusjärvi, Markku
  • SKARRA, NILS
• Publication Date: 1986

Language

• Swedish

Media Info

• Pagination: 50 p.
• Serial:
  • VTI Rapport
  • Issue Number: 303
  • Publisher: Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute (VTI)
  • ISSN: 0347-6030

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Calculation; Fuel consumption; Mathematical models; Rural areas; Speed limits; Urban areas
• Geographic Terms: Denmark; Finland; Norway; Sweden
• Subject Areas: Energy; Law;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00483236
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport and Road Research Laboratory (TRRL)
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: May 31 1989 12:00AM