AAA urges warning when states take into account elevating velocity limits

A brand new examine finds that elevating posted velocity limits could do little to avoid wasting time and enhance site visitors circulation however may result in extra crashes, accidents, and deaths.

The AAA Basis’s stated in an announcement its analysis outcomes assorted throughout all 12 roadway websites examined. All had new posted velocity limits — six raised and 6 lowered — and included numerous street varieties.

Elevating posted velocity limits was related to elevated crashes on two interstate highways, in line with the AAA Basis’s examine. The examine additionally discovered that reducing posted velocity limits led to fewer crashes in lots of instances examined, in line with AAA. However the chance of velocity restrict violations elevated after reducing posted velocity limits. AAA stated this implies the necessity for higher public consciousness training tied to those adjustments.  

The muse examine discovered:

• Elevating posted velocity limits was related to elevated crash frequencies and charges for 2 of the three interstate highways examined.
• Decreasing posted velocity limits was related to decreased crash frequencies and charges for one of many two principal arterials examined.
• Adjustments in journey instances have been small in response to each raised and lowered velocity limits.

AAA stated it urges transportation officers to use a “holistic” strategy when setting or altering posted velocity limits and prioritize security over velocity and capability.

“Our examine analyzed before-and-after knowledge on a dozen roadways that raised or lowered posted velocity limits and located no one-size-fits-all reply relating to the impression of those adjustments,” stated Dr. David Yang, president and government director of the AAA Basis. “Nonetheless, it’s vital to think about the security implications when native transportation authorities ponder making adjustments with posted velocity limits.”

AAA stated it recommends adjustments in posted velocity limits ought to take into account a variety of things, together with however not restricted to the kind of street, surrounding land use, and historic crash knowledge. AAA additionally stated it helps automated velocity enforcement, however packages have to be rigorously carried out to take care of group assist, prioritize fairness and constantly drive improved security.

“The motion in statehouses to boost velocity limits is going on throughout the nation in no less than eight states this yr,” stated Jennifer Ryan, director of state relations for AAA. “However the advantages are overrated, and the dangers are understated. Growing velocity limits doesn’t all the time yield the optimistic outcomes envisioned by site visitors planners.”

AAA stated this examine is the third section of the its basis’s analysis inspecting the impact of posted velocity restrict adjustments on security. Within the Basis’s first examine, site visitors engineers have been requested how posted velocity limits are set and what components they take into account in altering them. Within the second section, crash testing revealed that small velocity will increase have extreme and probably lethal results on crash outcomes.