The problem with speed redefined!
It seems that there is some opinion with regard to speed not being the worst of the problems. Please do allow me to clarify this. There are many reasons for road crashes! Some (not all) of these are:
- Distracted driving (Driving while texting, on mobile phones, talking, etc.)
- Drunk Driving
- Reckless driving
- Poor road conditions (Wet and slippery roads)
- People driving with out license
- Cattle on the road
- Slow vehicles on road
- Poor lane discipline
- Poor training and lisenceing
- Corruption
- and so on and so forth!
Although all these reasons are important and extremely relevant, speed is also an important reason for high crashes. WHO has admitted that speed is a major factor in crashes! In fact, Sweden has admitted in their Zero Fatality Vision that crashes are unavoidable so long as vehicles are driven by humans (error-free driving is impossible). Speed can change the nature of injury from a mild injury to a fatality! Hence, authorities are using various measures to reduce speed to increase safety!
But as many others have pointed out accurately, speed is not the only factor. But let's all admit that it is an important factor and find out the various measures that are employed to decrease speed!
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Originally Posted by saket77 Although most of enjoy driving on undivided highways, but properly designed 4 or 6 lane divided highways with well marked intersections in advance would go long way in decreasing highway mishaps. At least from the infrastructure point of view. |
If there are any photos in your repisitory of the same, would you kindly post it too?.
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Originally Posted by V.Narayan Thank you for this excellent topic.
Do we need cars with 100 or 200 horse power? |
Well considering that we also have the need to move on highways at higher speeds, it becomes important to have vehicles which are frugal in fuel consumption but capable of moving fast when needed! So in that light, perhaps, we do need a balance. But then again you are right, perhaps a 200 horsepower is a bit too much!
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Originally Posted by Kosfactor I think we need to put in some systemic thinking here, it needs a huge overhaul. The need to travel is probably what needs to be addressed first. |
Absolutely, we do need a huge overhaul. Considering that once upon a time we (the people) were fighting for roads, then we fought for roads without potholes. Subsequently, we fought for dual lane carriageways. Nowadays I suppose we are fighting for safer roads which are engineered better and we are also fighting for better road etiquette and better safety practices like wearing seat-belts!
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Originally Posted by EcoFox0718 My two cents on this issue:
Another way to regulate would be to make Speed Governors mandatory. |
One issue with making speed governors mandatory is that the governors become an additional component of failure.
At least this is what was told to me by my peers. Further, I suppose the government fears a public backlash if speed governors are mandatory.
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Originally Posted by EcoFox0718 When it comes to identifying breaches of speed limits - modern technology now makes it capable of translating image (Car Registration Number on the Number Plate) to text, and therefore the most ideal way to measure breaches of speed limit is to use a logically placed network of cameras which captures the timestamp at which the same car is passing different waypoints and calculate the average speed of the car between those waypoints. Due to the various fancy number plates this country has, we would obviously start with lower accuracy, but machine learning should allow for this accuracy to be improved over a long-enough test period before it is formally deployed. |
This is a wonderful idea. Do you know of any ready-to-deploy system in place? The very least we could do is suggest to the relevant authorities about the potential that they are missing out on.
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Originally Posted by EcoFox0718 I would also like to point out that while over-speeding is an issue, accidents themselves are a result of a combination of multiple factors. One of the biggest such factors - something I see all the time on the Mumbai Pune Expressway - is the sheer lack of lane discipline. We don't have lane discipline at signals, and even worse we don't have speed-based lane discipline on Expressways. Too often, cars switch lanes dangerously because heavy vehicles never move in the designated left lanes for meant for lower speeds. |
A sad reality for which there is no solution currently!
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Originally Posted by EcoFox0718 Finally, coming to the actual speed limits themselves - I feel many of them are extremely unjust. Scientific research has prescribed speed limits as 85th percentile of speed in a stretch of the road. This number is calculated differently for different classes of vehicles and accordingly, the slow and fast lanes are designated. On most roads in India, the speed limit is stiflingly below this 85th percentile number. Expressways are at 80 km/h (not including ghat sections, of course), and some flyover stretches of the Eastern Expressway are at 40 km/h, for example. I feel this is a bit much. These artificially lower speed limits are automatic deterrents to safe, or within-limits driving, and need to be re-evaluated. |
You are absolutely spot on. Historically, it was 85th percentile speed. But nowadays safe navigatable speeds along with human tolerances are being considered for speed limits in many countries. But, we are yet to adopt it. Hopefully, with the development of the speed policy guidelines, the authorities will be made aware of the importance of rational and credible speed limits.
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Originally Posted by srishiva In our country, only speed humps and rumble strips can control the speed. One way to alert to speed humps could be Road Powered systems that convert kinetic energy to electric power. These can atleast light up the humps when cars are approaching them. Will be really useful to warn about the humps. This is my biggest concern especially in Bengaluru |
That is a wonderful idea! If you have any more information on that, could you post it in?
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Originally Posted by jalsa777 I beg to differ on this topic.
While speed does add to the intensity of the accident, one cannot assume that only reducing speed will be a solution to the accident woes of this country. According to my observations, more often than not, accidents happen due to lack of awareness and LACK OF SPEED ! |
While the lack of speed (or difference in speed) is one of the contributing factors for crashes, studies have time and again shown that a large number of crashes do happen due to high speeds. Please don't get me wrong, but according to safety norms, a 40km/h is a high speed in a residential neighbourhood! It has a much higher probability of killing a pedestrian in case of a crash than 30km/h. The 10km/h makes a huge difference!
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Originally Posted by TorqueKnight Unless government makes a standard for speed bumps and implement it, these uneven speed bump always bothers people who use a car with low ground clearance |
There are standards for speed bumps! IRC99 deals with speed breakers and its design. The designed speed humps are wonderful! The issue is that the design is not followed!
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Originally Posted by jailbird_fynix The point is to alert motorists who fail to notice important traffic signs at junctions.They also work as speed-breakers. How practical are these? How long will they last? You probably know the answers to these questions more than I do. |
This is a very interesting initiative by the authorities! Let's see at the end of one year how well they hold up!
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Originally Posted by VaidhiR Non-Newtonian Fluid Speed Breaker. |
This is an interesting concept. I think it is not yet deployed on regular streets thought!
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Originally Posted by VaidhiR But until then, we could standardize these plastic speed breakers. They are already successfully implemented within apartment complexes and gated communities and their success shows that they are effective in reducing speeds. The bumps will have to be nailed down to the roads and can be reinstalled in case of a road layover. |
Plastic bumps are deployed all over the state highways in West Bengal. Authorities are yet to realize that these bumps are good only for light vehicles and will fail where heavy trucks ply!
But as you correctly observed, it is good within apartment complexes and gated communities! Quote:
Originally Posted by SR-71 While there are a lot of interesting solutions suggested we do have some desi version or the other implemented. For example the curb extensions find its implementation in the form of steel police barriers. These have time and again proved to do more harm than good. Have you seen how the vehicles, specially car drivers zig zag through these barricades in NH. In several places, in city & out in the NH's you find them toppled which proves to be more dangerous. Mid-islands ? Come to Bangalore, we have several of those in our roads, though they are just a result of an erratic contractor who leves behind large amount of debris after construction. |
Steel police barricades are, in my honest opinion, are the worst form of speed reducing measure!
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Originally Posted by mvadg I found tons of material on Traffic calming (GIYF) |
While there is no dearth of materials and measures (and thank you for the links), we are trying to create a collection of photos of the various measures used in India.
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Originally Posted by landcruiser123 There is no better way to reduce speed than to have a stricter system to obtain a license. That is a long term solution.
But for the short-term, I think we should use:
1. Speed bumps. And for heavens sake- please design them properly.
2. Have more tree lined streets. This apparently makes us more aware of our speed rather than barren spaces along the street
3. Use speed cameras
4. Have a radar and a digital display under the speed limit sign and have flashing digits to indicate when someone is speeding more than 3km/h.
They can help as our perception indicates how the roads are not wide. We'll be dissuaded from speeding. |
You are absolutely spot on!
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Originally Posted by SR-71 At the risk of sounding cynical, as far our country is concerned, the most effective system is unfortunately non-engineering. It is to hit traffic violaters where it hurts most - huge fines. Make the fines large enough to hurt an average joe's pocket and make it compulsory for traffic police to meet high targets with proofs and you will see how effectively it works. I believe this is the single biggest traffic violation deterrent even in an first world nation. |
Making fines large will only increase corruption. This is a recorded phenomenon. Increasing the fines will only lead to making a richer Police force. But giving a quota for the police to meet could lead to handing out fines to more expensive car drivers! The effect of high fines may not be what is actually required.