Co-funded by:
7th framework programme of the European Commission, DG MOVE


http://ec.europa.eu/research/index.cfm
http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/home_en.html

Use of speed limitation devices in lorries and coaches

FACT SHEET NO.: Cat-No.7 / Subcat-No.7.4-1

General Information

Title

FACT SHEET NO.: Cat-No.7 / Subcat-No.7.4-1

Category

7. Research and innovation

Subcategory

7.4 Framework: transport safety

Transport policy measure (TPM)

Use of speed limitation devices in lorries and coaches

Description of TPM

Speed limitation devices allow a certain maximum speed for lorries and coaches. The device interacts when a lorry or coach reaches a pre-programmed maximum speed. With the speed set at an optimum level, it increases safety (for drivers and other road users) and reduces fuel consumption and maintenance costs. Heavy vehicles like lorries and coaches (over 3.5 tonnes) are at a higher risk to road users than other vehicles involved in a crash. Research proved that speeding contributes to about one third of all fatal accidents [3].

Implementation examples

- EU Directive 1992/6 and 2002/85 prescribe speed limiters (90 km/h limit) for heavy lorries (>12t), coaches (>10t) and light lorries ( < 3.5t) to improve safety and reduce environmental impacts.

Objectives of TPM

An optimal pre-programmend maximum speed has certain benefits. The main objectives of this TPM are:
- Increase safety level on roads by slowing down (large) trucks and coaches. Reduced maximum speed decreases the number of collisions and mitigates the severity of those occuring [1] [2] [3].
- To reduce fuel consumption (which is significantly lower by limited speeds) and CO2 emissions [4] [5].
- Speed limitation devices will also help to reduce air pollution, noise and congestion. Mainly while higher engine loads (meaning the power needed to run at certain speed) cause more NOX emissions. Furthermore, speed limitation provides a more homogeneous traffic flow which reduces air pollution, noise and congestion. The latter will not count when the difference in speed between light weight and heavy weight vehicles increases. Congestion will certainly be reduced due to fewer accidents [4] [5].

Choice of transport mode / Multimodality

Origin and/or destination of trip

Trip frequency

Choice of route

Timing (day, hour)

Occupancy rate / Loading factor

Energy efficiency / Energy usage

Fuel consumption decreases due to lower speeds of lorries and coaches.

Main source

[1] Global Road Safety Partnership (2008): Speed Management - A road safety manual for decision-makers and practitioners, Geneva: Publications of GRSP
[2] Commercial Truck and Bus Safety Synthesis Program (2008): Safety Impacts of Speed Limiter Device Installations on Commercial Trucks and Buses - A Synthesis of Safety Practice, Washington D.C.: Transportation Research Board
[3] European Transport Safety Council (2008): Managing Speed - Towards safe and sustainable road transport, Brussels: European Transport Safety Council
[4] European Federation for Transport and Environment (2005): Road transport speed and climate change, Brussels: Transport & Environment
[5] Boer, E. den., et al. (2010): Speed limiters for vans in Europe - Environmental and safety impacts, Delft: CE Delft
[6] Boer, E. den., et al. (2009): Are trucks taking their toll? The environmental, safety and congestion impacts of lorries in the EU, Delft: CE Delft
[7] Anable, J. Mitchell, P. Layberry, R. (2006): Getting the genie back in the bottle: Limiting speed to reduce carbon emissions and accelerate the shift to low carbon vehicles, London: Lowcvp
[8] SafetyNet (2009): Cost-benefit analysis, Brussels: Directorate-General Transport and Energy
[9] European Commission (2006): IMPROVER - Impact Assessment of Road Safety Measures for Vehicles and Road Equipment, Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union
[10] Toledo, T.; Hakkert, S.; Albert, G. (2007). Evaluating the benefits of active speed limiters and comparison to other safety measures. Proceedings of the European Transport Conference 2007, Noordwijkerhout, NL

Traffic Impacts

Passengers 

         

Transport operators 

           

Unassigned 

         

Travel or transport time

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Risk of congestion

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Vehicle mileage

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Service and comfort

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Overall impacts on social groups

Implementation phase

Operation phase

Summary / comments concerning the main impacts

- Direct effect: Longer travel time due to limited speeds for trucks and coaches. [5]
- Reduced risk of congestion due to fewer accidents. It depends on the speed limit of other road users if there will be a more homogeneous traffic flow. Differences in speed between road users hamper the traffic flow. The net effect concerning the more homogeneous traffic flow is unknown [5].

Quantification of impacts

- Speed limiters can reduce the speed of Light Goods Vehicles by 10% which may lead to a significant reduction in the accident rate and the congestion rate. [10]

Economic Impacts

Passengers 

         

Transport operators 

           

Unassigned 

         

Transport costs

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Private income / commercial turn over

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Revenues in the transport sector

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Sectoral competitiveness

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Spatial competitiveness

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Housing expenditures

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Insurance costs

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Health service costs

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Public authorities & adm. burdens on businesses

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Public income (e.g.: taxes, charges)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Third countries and international relations

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Overall impacts on social groups

Implementation phase

Operation phase

Summary / comments concerning the main impacts

- The purchase and installation costs strongly depend on whether the device is installed during manufacture or at a later date (retrofit) [5].
- The transport costs will increase due to a longer travel time, but the fuel and maintenance costs will decrease due to the lower speeds . The cost-benefit ratio for light weight vehicles turned out to be positive (see quantification of impacts) [8] [9] [10]. For lorries and coaches this ratio is unclear.
- Reduced speeds for lorries and coaches improves road safety for all road users (including slow modes). This will lead to fewer accidents and reduced health service costs for road users and society [1] [8].
3 level impact:
- Public bodies will receive less excise tax because of lower speeds (=energy efficient). Furthermore, speed limitation devices can prevent vehicles from exceeding speed limits which will reduce the number of speeding tickets (and thus reduce public income).

Quantification of impacts

- Countries with a good safety record, such as Norway, Great Britain, Sweden and the Netherlands, assign a high monetary value to the prevention of a traffic fatality (when using a Cost-benefit analysis) [8].
- Installing intelligent speed adaptation (ISA-systems) in Norway found out to have a benefit/cost ratio 1.95. This means that the benefits for this measure are higher than the costs [8].
- The IMPROVER study concluded that the benefits (mainly due to more economical driving behaviour) of speed limiters for light weight commercial vehicles outweigh the costs with a factor of 1.65 for the existing vehicle fleet [9].
- Another study on light ggod vehicles concluded B/C ratios greater than 1 for the speed limiter set at 100 km/h. [10]

Social Impacts
Environmental Impacts

Passengers 

         

Transport operators 

           

Unassigned 

         

Air pollutants

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Noise emissions

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Visual quality of the landscape

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Land use

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Climate

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Renewable or non-renewable resources

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Overall impacts on social groups

Implementation phase

Operation phase

Summary / comments concerning the main impacts

Speed limitation devices will reduce maximum speeds which will lead to several positive impacts for the environment, such as:- Reducing air pollution (mainly NOx, but also PM10) through lower engine loads of lorries and coaches. This will be beneficial for the entire society and for especially for residents living near motorways [4].
- Noise will decline through lower speeds and less congestion [3], which counts mainly for residents near motorways.
- CO2 emissions will be reduced with the introduction of speed limitation devices which is desirable for the entire society and in accordance with the EU policy to reduce C02 emissions by 20% in 2020.
- Fuel consumption reduction of lorries and coaches through the introduction of speed limitation devices. Especially because driven speeds on motorways are above the optimum level for fuel efficiency [7].
- In addition, as potential indirect effect speed limitation devices can lead to even more significant CO2 reductions. For example, if lower top speeds and their resulting safety benefits would incentivise the market for lighter and less powerful trucks and coaches. This potential development reduces significant additional carbon savings over the long run [7].
- Indirect effect: Decline of additional land-use due to lower demand for new road infrastructure based on to higher road capacities.

Quantification of impacts

- Practical experiments in the Netherlands showed that speed limiters (limited to 110 km/h) in vans and light trucks resulted in 5% fuel savings [3].
- A study in the UK showed that a new 60mph (96 km/h) speed limit (for cars) will reduce CO2 emissions by an average of 1.88 million tonnes of carbon per year [7].
- Decreasing speed limits around Rotterdam (NL) from 100 to 80 km/h resulted in a reduction of 25% in NOX emissions from traffic [4].

0 Comments

Write a comment for this page

Response to:  Direct response to the article