Title: The effects of automatic speed photo-radar enforcements on Taiwanese freeway systems

Authors: Ming-Heng Wang; Cheng-Chen Kou

Addresses: Department of Transportation Technology and Management, Kainan University, No. 1 Kainan Road, LuzhuShiang, Taoyuan 33857, Taiwan ' Department of Transportation Technology and Management, Kainan University, No. 1 Kainan Road, LuzhuShiang, Taoyuan 33857, Taiwan

Abstract: This study investigated the effects of automatic speed photo enforcement (SPE) devices on speed and crash distributions on a major freeway section in Taiwan. The differences of speeds and traffic crash distributions at upstream and downstream sections of four SPE fixed locations were compared. The results indicate that the fixed SPE devices significantly decreased the mean speed at the fixed SPE point and continued for the next two kilometres at both suburban and rural freeway sections. The fixed SPE devices also reduced the number of traffic crashes at the location immediately downstream of the SPE point. However, on the rural freeway sections, the SPE device does not seem to prevent the occurrence of traffic crashes. There was not enough evidence to determine whether the fixed SPE devices would increase the risk of crashes when vehicles are approaching the fixed SPE points.

Keywords: automatic SPE; speed photo enforcement; traffic crash distribution; fixed devices; SPE devices; Taiwan; freeways; vehicle speed; suburban roads; rural roads; vehicle crashes.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMNDI.2014.067184

International Journal of Mobile Network Design and Innovation, 2014 Vol.5 No.4, pp.213 - 221

Received: 15 Feb 2014
Accepted: 12 Sep 2014
Published online: 07 Feb 2015 *

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