2.

0 FUNDAMENTAL THEORY

Spot speed study is made by measuring the individual speeds of a sample of the vehicles passing
a given point (spot) on street or highway. These individual speeds are used to estimate the speed
distribution of the entire traffic stream at that location under the conditions prevailing at the time
of the study. Speed of vehicle defined as the rate of movement of the vehicle. Measured in
kilometers per hour (km/h). The speeds of a sample of vehicles at a specific area are recorded in
a spot speed study. However, the speed characteristics discovered in such a research will only be
relevant for the traffic and environmental conditions in place at the time of the study.

The result of spot speed studies is used for many different purposed by traffic engineers,
including [ CITATION Ros09 \l 1033 ]:
1. Establishing the effectiveness of new or existing speed limits or enforcements practices.
2. Determining appropriate speed limits for application
3. Establishing speed trend at the local, state and national level to assess the effectiveness of
national policy on speed limits and enforcement.
4. Specific design application determining appropriate sight distances, relationships,
between speed and highway alignment, and speed performance with respect to steepness
and length of grades.
5. Specific control applications for the timing of “yellow” and “all red” intervals for traffic
signals, proper placement of signs, and development of appropriate signal progressions.
6. Investigation of high-accident locations at which speed is suspected to be contributing
cause to the accident experience.

Speed percentiles are tools used to determine effective and adequate speed limits. The
two speed percentiles are the most important to understand which are 50 th and 85th percentiles.
The 50th percentile is the median speed of the observed data set. This percentile represents the
speed at which half of the observed vehicles are below and half of the observed vehicles are
above. The 50th percentile of speed represents the average speed of the traffic stream. The 85 th
percentile is the speed at which 85% of the observed vehicles are travelling at or below. This
percentile is used in evaluating or recommending posted speed limits based on the assumption
that 85% of the drivers are travelling at a speed that perceived to be safe. In other words, the 85 th
percentile of speed is normally assumed to be the highest safe speed for a roadway section. The
formula for that needed in speed spot study calculation including:

1. Mean Speed.
Mean Speed which is the arithmetic mean of all observed vehicle speeds (which is the sum of
all spot speeds divided by the number of recorded speeds).
niSi ∑ fx
𝑥̅=∑ or Mean Speed =
N f
Where,
n = frequency of observations in group i, cars
S = middle speed of interval i, kmph
N = total number, cars
𝑥 = average speed, kmph

2. Median Speed.
Median Speed which is the speed at the middle value in a series of spot speeds that are arranged
in ascending order. 50 percent of the speed values will be greater than the median; 50 percent
will be less than the median.
𝑀𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑛 𝑆𝑝𝑒𝑒𝑑= L+¿ ¿
3. Mode Speed.
Mode Speed which is the speed value that occurs most frequently in a sample of spot speeds.

4. The ith-percentile Spot Speed.

The ith-percentile Spot Speed which is the spot speed value below which i percent of the
vehicles travel; for example, 85th-percentile spot speed is the speed below which 85 percent
of the vehicles travel and above which 15 percent of the vehicles travel.

5. Pace Speed.
Pace Speed is the highest speed within a specific range of speeds that represents more
vehicles than in any other like range of speed. The range of speeds typically used is 10 km/h
or 10 mph.
6. Standard Deviation of Speeds.
Standard Deviation of Speeds which is a measure of the spread of the individual speeds. It is
estimated as:
∑( xi−x)
S=
√ N −1
Where,
xi= middle speed of interval, kmph
𝑥̅= average speed, kmph
N = total number, cars
S = standard deviation, kmph