Effectiveness of Perceptual Traffic Calming Measures at a Small Community Gateway for Speed Reduction in Real World and Simulator Study

Speeding is a human error and it is influential on road accidents. Considering that police enforcement is a costly tool to control aggressive drivers’ speed, but there is no reasonable impact for drivers to reduce their speeds. There are other ways to control speed, called traffic calming devices which are used extensively in the world. Traffic calming devices are rated in two major groups as Physical and Perceptual devices. Perceptual traffic calming devices are categorized in three levels which includes limitations increasing (like speed sensors or cameras), intelligent signings for speed limitation and markings. Signing and marking are done as roadside signs and pavement markings respectively. This project was performed to assess the speeds at the gateway of a small community in Mazandaran province in north of Iran by marking and signing designed according to codes and manuals. A before-after study was also conducted to examine the speed changes. Also a simulator study was performed with designs to be implemented in the real world. Results showed that mean speeds of all vehicles, light vehicles and heavy vehicles reduced to 3.15, 3.05 and 1.93 kilometer per hour respectively in the real world study. In the simulator study, there was a significant reduction and it was stronger in effect.