Control of Drivers' Speed by Means other than Enforcement

Abstract

Many accidents are caused by drivers going too fast for the conditions then prevailing. Mandatory speed limits are one way of controlling drivers' speed, but they have their limitations. A fixed speed limit is not necessarily suitable for all times of the day and night, nor is it suitable when the reduced speed is only required over a very short length of road such as on a bend or the approach to a road junction. This paper discusses the use of advisory speed signs, the effect of having a speedometer which can be seen whilst the driver is looking at the road ahead, and finally the use of carriageway markings which give the driver the illusion that his speed is increasing causing him to slow down.