An investigation into the effectiveness of the speed camera

Abstract

Traffic engineers have long used posted speed limits and other control devices to regulate vehicle speeds and to promote road safety. If the engineers' judgement of the correct speed limit differs from that of most motorists, it is likely that there will be a high number of speed-limit violations. In recent years, speed cameras have been used increasingly as a form of speed enforcement, often with the view of lowering crash occurrence. Using Holland Road in Singapore as a case study, this paper examines the effectiveness of the speed camera by comparing the change in observed traffic speeds, the speed-limit compliance and the number of crashes before and after the installation of the camera. Following the installation of the camera, an overall reduction in mean speeds was observed as far as 500 m away from the camera position. A higher level of speed-limit compliance was also observed in the vicinity of the camera as motorists adjusted their speeds when they were within about 200-300 m of the camera position. The speed camera has also resulted in fewer crashes along the entire study roadway.