Speed and delay study

Spot speed studies are used to determine the speed distribution of a

traffic stream at a specific location. The data gathered in spot speed
studies are used to determine vehicle speed percentiles, which are
useful in making many speed-related decisions.
1. It is used to evaluate traffic conditions and levels of service .
2. It is used for running speed, overall speed, fluctuations in speed
and delay between two station.
3. It gives information about duration, cause of delay in traffics
studies.
4. The final result gives the information about detecting the spot
speed.
5. There are two kind delay used in it fixed delay and operational
delay.
6. Fixed delay occurs primarily at intersection due to traffic signal
and at level crossing.
7. Operational delay are caused by the interference of traffic
movement, such as turning vehicles, parking vehicles,
pedestrian …etc.

Objectives of speed and delay time survey

 To determine average travel time between source and

destination.
 To determine average speed between source and destination.
 To determine average delay between source and destination.
Limitation of time and delay method
 The process is affected by physical features of
road like pavement width, curve sight distance,
gradient, pavement unevenness, intersection,
and road side developments.
 One factors affecting this process are
environmental conditions, enforcement, traffic
condition, driver, vehicle and motive of travel.
 The greatest disadvantage is the progress is as
slow as it is difficult to spot out typical
vehicles and number of vehicles observed will
be less.
Various Methods of Speed and Delay studies
 Floating Car Method
 Licence Plate Record Method
 Interview Method
 Photography and Videography Method

RADAR SPEED METERS

 Works on the Doppler principle.

 Speed of a moving body is proportional to change
in frequency between the radio wave transmitted to
the moving body and the radio wave received back.
 Instrument directly measures speed.
 Instrument is setup near the edge of carriageway at
a height of 1m.
 The speed meter is so kept that the angle between
direction of travel of vehicle and axis of
 transmission of radio wave is as low as possible,
say within 20 degree.
 Speed of vehicles in both direction can be
observed.