There have been many reports of motorists using the lack of traffic on the roads during the Covid19 lockdown to flout the speed limits and now with more traffic back on the roads there is a danger that some may continue to drive at excessive speeds even after things are back to ‘normal’.
Behavioural Science in transportation (understanding the behaviour and motivations of transport users such as motorists and rail commuters etc) is a fascinating subject which plays a big part in the engineering and design of roads and their ‘furniture’ in an attempt to gently persuade drivers to modify their driving behaviour to something more appropriate.
There are many such psychological tactics in place to combat speeding but could we be doing more? What other engineering solutions could be implemented to stop excessive speeding? How do different countries tackle speeding on their roads? What could we learn from them?
The two major causes of road accidents are: the human factor, ie drivers and pedestrians, and the infrastructure factor - the roads and, to some extent, the mechanical condition of the vehicle. The human factor - the dominant one of the other factors Most accidents occur because of negligence, a lack of judgment, irresponsible driving and the like. These are non-compliance with self-risk and self-driving traffic laws on the road, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, driving fatigue and lack of concentration, distracting actions from the road (using a cellphone without a handsfree, reading documents, looking back, etc.). Usually these are the causes of fatal to fatal accidents, which result in fatalities. But even ordinary drivers, without awareness and alertness and lack of driving culture, are sometimes involved in accidents. In addition, the speed of response of the driver and his decision-making ability in various risk situations greatly influences his chances of being Involved in car accident. But holding the steering wheel is not the only fault. Pedestrians who unexpectedly break into the road, or cross a road in a forbidden place, as well as two-wheeler riders of the type who do not obey traffic signs or traffic lights, are also part of the human cause of traffic accidents. The infrastructure factor Many roads across the state are considered high-risk roads. These are usually roads that were paved decades ago and have not been adapted to modern transport needs since. Usually these are narrow roads, in many cases with very narrow margins, with no separation means and dilapidated maintenance. Some are defined as "red roads", ie roads with a rich history of fatal road accidents. The constant increase in the number of vehicles moving on Israeli roads increases the volume of traffic and loads on the major traffic routes, This is necessarily reflected in the increase in the number of accidents. In recent decades, the Ministry of Public Works (now called the National Society) has been operating Roads) to improve and expand those narrow and dangerous roads, some of which are major transport arteries. The main problem: pace The works do not catch up with the growth rate in the number of vehicles. Government ministries are also involved in the development and construction of the New inter-urban roads, with the aim of reducing traffic congestion and increasing road safety.
The two major causes of road accidents are: the human factor, ie drivers and pedestrians, and the infrastructure factor - the roads and, to some extent, the mechanical condition of the vehicle. The human factor - the dominant one of the other factors Most accidents occur because of negligence, a lack of judgment, irresponsible driving and the like. These are non-compliance with self-risk and self-driving traffic laws on the road, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, driving fatigue and lack of concentration, distracting actions from the road (using a cellphone without a handsfree, reading documents, looking back, etc.). Usually these are the causes of fatal to fatal accidents, which result in fatalities. But even ordinary drivers, without awareness and alertness and lack of driving culture, are sometimes involved in accidents. In addition, the speed of response of the driver and his decision-making ability in various risk situations greatly influences his chances of being Involved in car accident. But holding the steering wheel is not the only fault. Pedestrians who unexpectedly break into the road, or cross a road in a forbidden place, as well as two-wheeler riders of the type who do not obey traffic signs or traffic lights, are also part of the human cause of traffic accidents. The infrastructure factor Many roads across the state are considered high-risk roads. These are usually roads that were paved decades ago and have not been adapted to modern transport needs since. Usually these are narrow roads, in many cases with very narrow margins, with no separation means and dilapidated maintenance. Some are defined as "red roads", ie roads with a rich history of fatal road accidents. The constant increase in the number of vehicles moving on Israeli roads increases the volume of traffic and loads on the major traffic routes, This is necessarily reflected in the increase in the number of accidents. In recent decades, the Ministry of Public Works (now called the National Society) has been operating Roads) to improve and expand those narrow and dangerous roads, some of which are major transport arteries. The main problem: pace The works do not catch up with the growth rate in the number of vehicles. Government ministries are also involved in the development and construction of the New inter-urban roads, with the aim of reducing traffic congestion and increasing road safety.
