Speed Cameras as a Tool to Reduce Road Fatalities

[Pages:30]Speed Cameras as a Tool to Reduce Road Fatalities

Prepared by Misty A. Boos, May 2009

VDOT Research Library 530 Edgemont Road Charlottesville, VA 22903 Ph: (434) 293-1959 Fax: (434) 293-1990 Library.Circulation@VDOT.

KEY SEARCH TERMS: Speed Cameras

Automated Enforcement Speed Control

Traffic Accidents Cameras

Research Synthesis Bibliography No. 23

Research Synthesis Bibliographies (RSBs) are distillations of relevant transportation research on current topics of interest to researchers, engineers, and policy/decision makers. Sources cited are available for loan (or available through Interlibrary Loan) to VDOT employees through the VDOT Research Library.

Learning Lessons from Domestic and International Speed Camera Programs

Most researchers and public safety officials agree that speeding causes an increase in crashes. They generally agree that speed limit enforcement measures, including speed cameras, help catch and penalize drivers who break the speed limit. However, some questions remain unanswered. Does the use of speed cameras actually lead to a reduction in the number of speeders and crashes, or reduce crash severity overall? Are there any unintended consequences that result from using visible speed enforcement camera systems?

Some researchers have claimed that fixed, visible speed cameras may lead to dangerous traffic situations, as drivers approaching an enforcement zone suddenly decelerate, only to accelerate again after having passed it--something referred to as "the kangaroo effect. While the kangaroo effect has been observed by many, to date there is no scientific evidence to prove that it results in an increase in accidents. In addition, some research has noted that drivers aware of fixed speed cameras may resort to using alternative routes to avoid the cameras, possibly leading to an increase in crashes on other roadways.

Regression to the Mean It is common practice to place speed cameras in locations where there have been recent high numbers of crashes. When collecting crash data in these areas, crash rate trends may appear to decrease due to "Regression To the Mean" (RTM) instead of being the result of the effectiveness of the cameras. The idea behind this phenomenon is that when cameras are placed at sites where a high number of accidents had been observed, a lower number of accidents after the placement might be expected in subsequent years simply by random chance "as the roadway returns to its normal mean crash rate after the peak." (Thomas et al, 2008)

RTM is a well known phenomenon by which extreme examples from any set of data are likely to be followed by examples which are less extreme. RTM is recognized as a concept that can be misused easily, but also one that is critical to research and experimental design. Despite the concerns over cameras and RTM, "injury crash reductions in the range of 20% to 25% appear to be a reasonable estimate of site-specific safety benefit from conspicuous, fixed-camera, automated speed enforcement programs". (Thomas et al., 2008)

International Speed Camera Use Speed cameras are used extensively outside of the United States. From their international review of speed camera programs, authors Pilkington and Kinra concluded that "although the evidence is weak, the research consistently shows that speed cameras are an effective intervention in improving road safety". (Thomas et al., 2008)

Public Acceptance While successful speed camera programs are in place in many countries today, the use of enforcement cameras is certainly contentious. Many international programs were initially met with public resistance. This RSB includes some international sources about public concerns related to speed camera programs.

In the U.S., the constitutionality of automated speed enforcement has been repeatedly upheld, although speed camera programs have not become an established part of a nationwide, transportation safety program. There are a number of public concerns transportation professionals may want to contemplate when considering or implementing a speed camera program, including: general ticketing procedures, how ticket revenues will be distributed, privacy issues, and whether or not automated enforcement does result

in reduced crash rates. Some studies have noted that public resistance to such programs can occur if speed cameras are perceived as revenue generators rather than methods for improving safety. (Hedlund, 2007)

For a list of communities in the US with speed camera programs in place please see this website:

"The ultimate success of automated enforcement will not rely on the technology so much as how the technology is applied and how transportation professionals interact with state and local legislators, local judiciary, and the public when implementing automated enforcement". (Turner 1998)

--Misty A. Boos Note: This RSB does not include research regarding red-light cameras or cameras used specifically at intersections.

DATABASES SEARCHED FOR THIS RSB

OCLC WorldCat TRISworld VDOT OneSearch JSTOR

TRANSPORT 1988-present NTIS Research In Progress (RiP) LexisNexis Academic Universe

TRIS Online Google Coop: State DOT Search Engine Google Scholar

GETTING RESOURCES LISTED HERE Full text copies of most resources listed in this document are available in the VDOT Research Library's collections, or through interlibrary loan, through the Library. In many cases, the Library owns both virtual and hard copies of documents, as well as formats such as CD-ROM.

Library staff is available Monday-Friday 8:00-5:00. Please contact us if you have a reference question, a question about our lending policies, or need any other kind of help.

Reference Questions: Ken Winter, Director Library/Info. Services Ken.Winter@vdot. 434-962-89789

Library Circulation and InterLibrary Loans: Misty Boos, Library Assistant Misty.Boos@VDOT. 434-293-1959

CONTENTS

I.

DOMESTIC PROGRAMS AND STUDIES

II. INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS AND STUDIES

III. RESEARCH IN PROGRESS

P. 1 P. 11 P. 26

DOMESTIC PROGRAMS AND STUDIES The following citations are sorted by date with the most recent articles and reports listed first.

Countermeasures That Work: A Highway Safety Countermeasure Guide For State Highway Safety Offices, Fourth Edition, 2009 ABSTRACT: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has released a report that explores major highway safety strategies and countermeasures that are relevant to State Highway Safety Offices; summarizes their use, effectiveness, costs, and implementation time; and provides references to safety research summaries and individual studies. DATABASE: TRIS Online ACCESS: ated%20Files/811081.pdf

Communities Using Speed Cameras CITATION: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety ABSTRACT: This Web site by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety provides a comprehensive listing of domestic speed camera programs as of March 2009. ACCESS:

Cameras Help Lower Speeds on Arizona Freeway CITATION: Status Report, 2008. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Vol. 43, No. 1. ABSTRACT: This article reports that a campaign to limit speeding in Scottsdale, Arizona using a speed-camera enforcement program was successful. Before the pilot program, 15 percent of drivers were traveling more than 75 mph on sections posted at 65 mph. Once the signs and cameras were in place, the percentage of violators fell to one to two percent. Surveys indicated, in addition, that local drivers were pleased with the speed cameras. The article describes the nine-month pilot program and its location. By comparing speeds on similar portions of nearby freeways without cameras, researchers found that there was as much as a 95 percent decrease in the odds that drivers would travel faster than 75 mph. The article includes a short section on a similar trial in Montgomery County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C. DATABASE: TRIS Online ACCESS:

Speed Enforcement Camera Systems Operational Guidelines CITATION: 2008. United States. Federal Highway Administration; United States. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. ABSTRACT: The ASE guidelines are intended to serve program managers, administrators,

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law enforcement, traffic engineers, program evaluators, and other individuals responsible for the strategic vision and daily operations of the program. The guidelines are written from a U.S. perspective and emphasize U.S. contexts and best practices. However, they are also drawn from the experiences of exemplary programs internationally. Though international differences in law, history, and culture might influence best practices for ASE, the majority of these guidelines are relevant to ASE programs worldwide. The guidelines are intended to be accessible and inclusive, with an emphasis on presenting options and describing the advantages, particularly in increased traffic flow and reduced congestion, and disadvantages of each, so that an ASE program can be tailored to the needs of a particular jurisdiction. The technological state of the practice in ASE is developing rapidly. Some specific technologies are described, but rather than focus on the capabilities of current technologies, the emphasis is on identifying the functional requirements that technologies must meet so that the guidelines remain relevant as technologies evolve. DATABASE: TRIS Online ACCESS:

Speed Enforcement Program Guidelines CITATION: 2008. United States. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. ABSTRACT: It is well-established that speeding represents a risk to public safety. Excessive speed increases the likelihood of crashing and the risk of severe injury in a crash. In 2005, more than 13, 000 lives were lost in speeding-related crashes. Reducing speeding is a high-priority objective and effective speed enforcement is an essential countermeasure to reduce speeding and lowering crash risk. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Federal Highway Administration have developed Speed Enforcement Program Guidelines to provide law enforcement personnel and decision makers with detailed information on how to establish and maintain an effective speed enforcement program. The guidelines were developed with input from many of the most successful law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and include information that can help establish an effective speed enforcement program, including details on: program management; problem identification; enforcement countermeasures; role of engineering; public outreach/communications; legislation, regulation/policy; and program evaluation. DATABASE: TRIS Online ACCESS:

Analysis of Automated Speed Enforcement Cameras in Charlotte, North Carolina CITATION: Christopher M. Cunningham, Joseph E. Hummer and Jae-Pil Moon, Transportation Research Record: Journal of the , 2008. No. 2078, Pg. 127-134. ABSTRACT: The effects of a mobile automated speed enforcement system in Charlotte, North Carolina, were examined. Limited focus groups were conducted to characterize resident and professional attitudes, opinions, and beliefs regarding such a speed program. Overall, opinions were positive. The system, consisting of three mobile units, was implemented along 14 corridors. Two separate analyses were conducted on data collected from January 2000 to December 2005. Findings from a previous study done for the North Carolina Governor's Highway Safety Program were updated. The first, and primary, analysis was a before-and-after analysis of collisions. This study used Hauer's comparison group methodology. Three different collision data sets were analyzed: total collisions, data accounting for regression to the mean, and data for five heavily enforced corridors. On the basis of the analysis, the impact of regression to the mean appears to be negligible. The results indicate that the camera program likely reduced collisions in corridors with

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automated enforcement. The second analysis observed whether compliance with posted speed limits was enhanced. Mean speeds, median speeds, 85th percentile speeds, and percentages of drivers more than 10 mph over the speed limit were analyzed. The analyses found speed reductions caused by the camera program. On the basis of these findings, it was recommended that the City of Charlotte continue the automated speed enforcement program. Other agencies considering speed camera programs can benefit from the knowledge gained in Charlotte. DATABASE: TRIS Online ACCESS:

Evaluation of Automated Speed Enforcement in Montgomery County, Maryland CITATION: Richard A. Retting, Charles M. Farmer and Anne T. McCartt. Traffic Injury Prevention, 2008. Taylor & Francis Limited. Vol. 9, No. 5, Pg. 440-445. ABSTRACT: Almost one quarter of speeding-related fatalities occur on streets with speed limits of 35 mph or less. In 2007, Montgomery County, Maryland, implemented the state's first automated speed enforcement program, with camera use limited to residential streets with speeds limits of 35 mph or less and school zones. The study's purpose was to evaluate initial effects of camera enforcement on speeds and to assess public attitudes. DATABASE: TRIS Online

Evaluation Of Automated Speed Enforcement On Loop 101 Freeway In Scottsdale, Arizona CITATION: Richard A. Retting, Sergey Y. Kyrychenko and Anne T. McCartt. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 2008. Elsevier. Vol. 40, No. 4, Pg. 1506-1512. ABSTRACT: Speed cameras can reduce speeding and injury crashes, but in many communities they are confined to low-speed settings such as residential streets and school zones. In 2006 the city of Scottsdale, Arizona, implemented a 9-month pilot program to evaluate the feasibility and effects of highly visible speed camera enforcement on a busy urban freeway. This was the first use of fixed speed cameras on a major US highway. Deployment of six cameras along an 8-mile corridor was associated with large declines in mean speeds and an 88% decrease in the odds of vehicles traveling 11 mph or more above the 65 mph limit. Traffic speeds increased soon after the pilot program was suspended. In addition to reducing speeding along the enforcement corridor, speed cameras were associated with large reductions in speeding on the same highway but 25 miles away from the camera installations. However, traffic speeds were fairly stable on urban freeways in Scottsdale that were not part of the study road. Public opinion surveys found widespread concerns about speeding on the Loop 101 freeway and high levels of support for speed camera enforcement on this road. DATABASE: TRIS Online

Overall Impact of Speed-Related Initiatives and Factors on Crash Outcomes CITATION: Angelo D'Elia, S. Newstead and M. Cameron. Appearing in: 51st Annual Meeting of the Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine, Annals of Advances in Automotive Medicine, 2007. Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine. Vol. 51, Pg. 465-484. ABSTRACT: This study has evaluated the overall impact of a package of speed-related initiatives and factors on crash outcomes including more covert operations of mobile speed cameras, an increase in speed camera operating hours and lowering of cameras' speed detection threshold. The package was associated with a highly statistically significant

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estimated overall reduction in casualty crashes of 3.8% which was in large part due to the estimated reduction in casualty crashes for metropolitan Melbourne rather than the rest of Victoria. In particular, disaggregation of crash outcomes showed a highly statistically significant crash reduction of 6.1% associated with casualty crashes that occurred in 40, 50 or 60 km/h speed zones which are mostly situated in metropolitan Melbourne. This result was consistent with the analysis of increased speed camera activity which indicated that in Melbourne the largest increase in camera hours occurred on 50 and 60 km/h roads. For injury severity, the analysis suggested a possible reduction in the risk of fatal outcome in reported casualty crashes over the post-implementation period with a non-statistically significant estimated relative injury severity of 0.96. In addition, a model where the postimplementation period was partitioned by time showed trends towards increased reductions in casualty crashes and in the risk of fatal outcome of those crashes over time. DATABASE: TRIS Online

Demonstration of Automated Speed Enforcement In School Zones In Portland, Oregon CITATION: M. Freedman, D. De Leonardis, G. Raisman, et al. 2006. United States. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. ABSTRACT: The use of Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) to reduce traffic speeds in school zones was demonstrated at five neighborhood schools in Portland, OR, during a two-month period. ASE was deployed at each demonstration school zone an average of two to three times per week during this period. The program was well publicized through a public information and education campaign that was conducted prior to and during the demonstration. Speeds were measured at the five demonstration school zones and at five comparison school zones before, during, and after the demonstration. Public awareness was measured before and during the ASE demonstration. Major findings follow: (1) Mean and 85th percentile speeds at demonstration school zones were reduced by approximately 5 mph when ASE was present, and ASE still had an effect (although reduced to 1 to 2 mph) when ASE was not present. The proportion of traffic that exceeded the speed limit by more than 10 mph was reduced by about two-thirds when ASE was present, and by about one-quarter when ASE was not present. (2) Maximum speed reduction was obtained with the combination of ASE and a flashing beacon, which is used during certain hours at many Portland school zones. (3) The speed reduction effects observed at the demonstration school zones were still present one month after ASE operations ceased in May 2005. (4) Speeds at most of the comparison locations were unchanged during this test, indicating that the speed reductions at demonstration schools were attributable to the ASE program. /Abstract from report summary page. DATABASE: TRIS Online ACCESS: s/DOT/NHTSA/Traffic%20Injury%20Control/Articles/Associated%20Files/HS810764.pdf

Speed, Road Injury, and Public Health CITATION: Elihu Richter, Tamar Berman, Lee Friedman, et al. Annual. Rev. Public Health, 2006. Annual Reviews Incorporated. Vol. 27, Pg. 125-152. ABSTRACT: This article reviews milestones in the history of increases in speed limits and travel speeds and the related risks for road deaths and injury. The authors note that reduced speed lights, speed-camera networks, and speed calming substantially reduce the death and injury rates in absolute numbers. This trend is apparent in the United Kingdom, Australia, France, and other countries, but not in the United States, which has raised

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