A pilot project on a rural road in Maryland has seen average speeds fall 9% and the odds that a vehicle on the road was speeding drop by three-quarters. The multi pronged effort was supported by a US$100,000 grant from the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and the National Road Safety Foundation (NRSF). The study also found a 78% reduction in the odds that a vehicle exceeded the speed limit by any amount. There was broad public awareness of the Bishopville program, and that was likely a key to its success. Speeding is dangerous and deadly, and no one solution will solve the problem, says GHSA Executive Director Jonathan Adkins.
The percentage who said it was likely or very likely was much higher after the Maryland program began than before its launch. Afterward, average speeds were just 2% lower than before the program began. The chances of speeding by any amount were 37% lower but 12% higher.