USE OF SPEED LIMITERS IN CARS FOR INCREASED SAFETY AND A BETTER ENVIRONMENT

A major traffic safety problem exists in Europe because many road users do not comply with speed limits. Therefore, researchers at the Department of Traffic Planning and Engineering at Lund Institute of Technology in Sweden have developed a method for controlling speed at the source, that is, in the vehicle. This method involves use of a speed limiter (SL). At every change of existing speed limit, a sender emits impulses. Each vehicle is equipped with a receiver able to understand these impulses, automatically limiting the vehicle's maximum speed to the speed limit in question. This concept sounds utopic, and there is not the slightest chance of introducing an SL into road traffic unless the advantages, from safety and environmental viewpoints, clearly outweigh the possible disadvantages. Hypotheses about the SL's major impact on traffic were developed through a literature study, roundtable discussions, and self-observation studies. In addition to objective safety, these hypotheses concern security, travel time, road net capacity, energy consumption, air pollution, and noise. External test drivers are currently being chosen for behavior observations and interviews. Their attitudes concerning several safety aspects will be measured, then groups of drivers will use the SL for different lengths of time. After driving, they will be interviewed again about their attitude toward the SL and its practical use. Along with the field experiments, estimates will be made on aggregated levels. The results of these studies will be used in planning and designing a large-scale experiment that will be held as an option, unless there is a surprising change of status quo in the official attitude concerning an SL system.

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1991/1318/1318-005.pdf
• Record URL:
  https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=USE+OF+SPEED+LIMITERS+IN+CARS+FOR+INCREASED+SAFETY+AND+A+BETTER+ENVIRONMENT&author=S.+Almqvist&author=C.+Hyden&author=R.+Risser&publication_year=1991
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• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper appears in Transportation Research Record No. 1318, Highway Systems, Human Performance, and Safety 1991. 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
• Authors:
  • Almqvist, Sverker
  • Hyden, Christer
  • Risser, Ralf
• Publication Date: 1991

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: p. 34-39
• Monograph Title: Highway systems, human performance, and safety, 1991
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 1318
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Attitudes; Before and after studies; Energy consumption; Environmental impacts; Field tests; Highway capacity; Highway safety; Hypothesis testing; Impacts; Speed control; Speed limits; Technology; Travel time
• Uncontrolled Terms: Hypothesis; Speed limiters
• Geographic Terms: Sweden
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Energy; Environment; Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment; I91: Vehicle Design and Safety;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00621660
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309051584
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Apr 30 1992 12:00AM