Speed Limit Changes: A Tool to Examine Potential Safety Concerns

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May 14th, 2024

Speeding is a significant safety concern and has contributed to almost one-third of road fatalities in the past 20 years. This research investigated whether changing to higher posted speed limits on Interstates can cause spillover effects, or a systemic propagation of speeding behaviors that results in more crashes at nearby road segments.

Findings presented in this study are useful in raising awareness of the safety impact after regulatory posted speed limits on interstates were raised, especially among local agencies that may not have the tools to quantify any unintended safety consequences along adjacent roadways within their networks.

Read the full study here.