Changing Speed Limit Signs and Driver Perception
Variable speed signs have been shown to help to control traffic, keep it flowing smoothly and reduce speeding. Their crucial purpose might appear clearer to many drivers if they understand the point of them on crowded roads, for example. Interstate 5 near Seattle uses variable signs, and some drivers expressed unhappiness with the signs. It wasn't that they didn't like them or found them a problem, but that they didn't understand what the point could have been.
On a busy highway during rush hour, for example, a variable speed sign might display 40 mph as the speed limit, when traffic is stop and go. Or when the road is clear and traffic is flowing smoothly, it may display 60 or 65 miles per hour. A Washington State Dept. of Transportation spokesperson attempted to answer questions about why the velocity changes mattered when traffic was restricted to a far slower speed, or it was clear that speeds of 65 miles per hour may be reached on a reasonably empty road.
The spokesman explained that even though traffic is crawling at 15 mph and the sign says 40 mph, it's showing the speed limit ahead. This use is designed to keep people from approaching too swiftly and having to slow just as swiftly. If traffic is stop-and-go, the numbers on the signs should not be taken as the speed they ought to be able to travel.
A great use for these speed signs is also to caution drivers of issues up the road. Some can suggest that an incident like a lane blockage, accident or other problem has occurred anywhere from 1.5 to 3 miles before the problem, so drivers can adjust their speed, change lanes or even exit the street to avoid delays.
If traffic is traveling at 60 miles an hour and a variable sign shows 40 miles an hour as the speed limit ahead, drivers know that something's slowing traffic down up ahead, and may wish to take an alternate route to avoid congestion and keep from getting caught in a major delay
On a busy highway during rush hour, for example, a variable speed sign might display 40 mph as the speed limit, when traffic is stop and go. Or when the road is clear and traffic is flowing smoothly, it may display 60 or 65 miles per hour. A Washington State Dept. of Transportation spokesperson attempted to answer questions about why the velocity changes mattered when traffic was restricted to a far slower speed, or it was clear that speeds of 65 miles per hour may be reached on a reasonably empty road.
The spokesman explained that even though traffic is crawling at 15 mph and the sign says 40 mph, it's showing the speed limit ahead. This use is designed to keep people from approaching too swiftly and having to slow just as swiftly. If traffic is stop-and-go, the numbers on the signs should not be taken as the speed they ought to be able to travel.
A great use for these speed signs is also to caution drivers of issues up the road. Some can suggest that an incident like a lane blockage, accident or other problem has occurred anywhere from 1.5 to 3 miles before the problem, so drivers can adjust their speed, change lanes or even exit the street to avoid delays.
If traffic is traveling at 60 miles an hour and a variable sign shows 40 miles an hour as the speed limit ahead, drivers know that something's slowing traffic down up ahead, and may wish to take an alternate route to avoid congestion and keep from getting caught in a major delay
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