Automated speed control on urban arterial road: An experience from Khon Kaen City, Thailand

• Main Authors: Phongphan Tankasem, Thaned Satiennam, Wichuda Satiennam, Pongrid Klungboonkrong
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2019-06-01
• Series: Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives
• Subjects: Traffic accident; Speed control; Urban arterial road; Developing city
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590198219300326

The 14 km corridor of the Friendship Highway passing Khon Kaen city, Thailand, was prone to road functionality problems, and high road fatality rates were reported. The local road safety committee, including public and private interdisciplinary parties, recently implemented the automated speed enforcement camera project along this corridor to achieve safer speeds. The objective of this study is to evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of the implemented project. The results indicated that this project decreased vehicle speed by 9.6% and increased the efficiency of the speed limit enforcement program six to eight times. Accidents, injuries, and fatalities rates decreased by 5.8%, 7.7%, and 34.3%, respectively. These outcomes prove the efficiency of the first stage of this speed control project in the context of developing cities. Further speed management programs are also discussed. The findings would be beneficial for other developing cities whose urban arterial roads encounter traffic accidents that are primarily caused by speeding.