CASE STUDY NATIONAL

Boston, Massachusetts lowered their city street speed limits by just 5 mph in January 2017. Throughout that time, Boston advertised this change through social media and other traditional media outlets.

Boston looked at the vehicles that exceeded the speed limits at 25, 30, and 35 mph and evaluated the odds associated with the new posted speed limit of 25 mph. Researchers found that the odds of drivers exceeding the multiple speeds decreased, with the largest being in drivers who drove over 35 mph. Drivers who drove over 35 mph dropped 29.3%, those who exceeded 30 mph decreased 8.5%, and those who drove over 25 mph fell only 2.9%.

What this study did not evaluate was the crash reports in Boston after the reduction of speed, which is the next step. However, higher travel speeds are likely to increase the risk of injuries or death when a crash occurs. This happens because the faster a car is moving, the less reaction time a driver has. Reducing the speed limit allows for a longer reaction time and can reduce the severity of a crash when it does happen. Click here for the full article.