A FRAMEWORK FOR THE ANALYSIS OF OPTIMAL MAXIMUM HIGHWAY SPEED LIMITS AND THEIR OPTIMAL ENFORCEMENT

On 2 January 1974, "the emergency highway energy conservation act" reduced the maximum highway speed limit for all vehicles to 55 mph. The sole reason advanced for this reduction was to conserve fuel. Although fuel costs are one determinant of what the socially optimal highway speed limit should be, they are not the sole determinant of that optimum. Consequently, it would be entirely fortuitous if the new 55 mph speed limit is socially optimal. This paper discusses the full range of considerations which should be taken into account in establishing a socially optimal speed limit and its optimal enforcement. Some empirical tests are suggested at the end of this paper, though no empirical work is included. /Author/TRRL/

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00014575
• Corporate Authors:

  Pergamon Press, Incorporated

  Headington Hill Hall
  Oxford OX30BW,    
• Authors:
  • Crouch, R L
• Publication Date: 1976-9

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References;
• Pagination: p. 187-199
• Serial:
  • Accident Analysis & Prevention
  • Volume: 8
  • Issue Number: 3
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • ISSN: 0001-4575
  • Serial URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/00014575

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Analysis; Conservation; Energy; Energy conservation; Law enforcement; Laws; Maximization; Optimization; Prevention; Safety; Social factors; Speed; Speed limits; Traffic law enforcement
• Uncontrolled Terms: Maximum; Optimum; Speed laws
• Old TRIS Terms: Optimum speed
• ITRD Terms: 1661: Accident prevention; 212: Energy conservation; 1534: Enforcement (law); 9042: Maximum; 624: Speed limit
• Subject Areas: Energy; Environment; Highways; Law; Operations and Traffic Management; Safety and Human Factors; Security and Emergencies; Society; I73: Traffic Control; I82: Accidents and Transport Infrastructure;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00153341
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport and Road Research Laboratory (TRRL)
• Report/Paper Numbers: Analytic
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: Sep 20 1977 12:00AM