§Nebraska
Department of Road, NDOR
¥ University
of Nebraska Lincoln,
¥ Department
of Civil Engineering College of Engineering and Technology:
¥ Research
Report No. TRP-02-26-92
¥ Evaluation
of Lower Speed Limits on Urban Highways:
§ÒSAFETY EFFECTS
¥ The results of the analysis of the
accident experience in speed zones indicate that zones with posted speed limits equal to the reasonable
speed limits proposed by the NDOT method of speed zoning
are safer than zones posted with limits that are
5 and 10 mph below the reasonable speed limits. Speed zones with speed limits 5 mph below the reasonable speed
limits were found to have 5 percent more
accidents than zones with reasonable speed limits. Speed zones with speed limits 10 mph below the reasonable speed
limits were found to have 10 percent more accidents than
zones with reasonable speed limits. Therefore, the speed
zones on state highways in urban areas should be posted with reasonable speed limits proposed by NDOR method in order
to minimize the numbers of accidents in the speed
zones. Speed limits lower than the reasonable speed
limits should not be posted.Ó