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RESEARCH PRODUCT
Evaluating the citywide Edinburgh 20mph speed limit intervention effects on traffic speed and volume: A pre-post observational evaluation.
Glenna F. NightingaleAndrew James WilliamsRuth F. HunterJames WoodcockKieran TurnerClaire L. ClelandGraham BakerMichael KellyAndy CopeFrank KeeKaren MiltonCharlie FosterRuth JepsonPaul Kellysubject
EpidemiologyGeography Planning and DevelopmentSocial SciencesTransportation/dk/atira/pure/core/keywords/exercise_nutrition_and_health_sciences20mph speed limitsCognitionAccident PreventionRA0421RA0421 Public health. Hygiene. Preventive Medicine/dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/3300/3313Medicine and Health SciencesPsychologyPublic and Occupational Health/dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/industry_innovation_and_infrastructureEvaluationGeographic AreasMultidisciplinaryGeographyHealth PolicyTraumatic Injury Risk FactorsQFOS: Social sciencesRAccidents Traffic/dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/2700/27393rd-DASSPEED LIMITSResearch AssessmentTransportation InfrastructureSDG 11 - Sustainable Cities and CommunitiesTreatment Outcome/dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/3300/3322Evaluation Studies as TopicRoad Traffic Collisions/dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/good_health_and_well_beingEngineering and TechnologyMedicinePublic HealthSafetyResearch ArticleUrban AreasAutomobile DrivingScienceDecision MakingHuman GeographyResearch and Analysis MethodsCivil EngineeringUrban Geography/dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/sustainable_cities_and_communitiesSDG 3 - Good Health and Well-beingHumansUrban InfrastructureCitiespre-post observational evaluationPublic Health Environmental and Occupational HealthCognitive PsychologyBiology and Life Sciences/dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/3300/3305FOS: Engineering and technologyRoadsUrban StudiesLogistic ModelsScotlandMedical Risk FactorstransportEarth SciencesCognitive Science20mphSDG 9 - Industry Innovation and InfrastructureSPS Exercise Nutrition and Health SciencesNeurosciencedescription
Objectives Traffic speed is important to public health as it is a major contributory factor to collision risk and casualty severity. 20mph (32km/h) speed limit interventions are an increasingly common approach to address this transport and health challenge, but a more developed evidence base is needed to understand their effects. This study describes the changes in traffic speed and traffic volume in the City of Edinburgh, pre- and 12 months post-implementation of phased city-wide 20mph speed limits from 2016–2018. Methods The City of Edinburgh Council collected speed and volume data across one full week (24 hours a day) pre- and post-20mph speed limits for 66 streets. The pre- and post-speed limit intervention data were compared using measures of central tendency, dispersion, and basic t-tests. The changes were assessed at different aggregations and evaluated for statistical significance (alpha = 0.05). A mixed effects model was used to model speed reduction, in the presence of key variables such as baseline traffic speed and time of day. Results City-wide, a statistically significant reduction in mean speed of 1.34mph (95% CI 0.95 to 1.72) was observed at 12 months post-implementation, representing a 5.7% reduction. Reductions in speed were observed throughout the day and across the week, and larger reductions in speed were observed on roads with higher initial speeds. Mean 7-day volume of traffic was found to be lower by 86 vehicles (95% CI: -112 to 286) representing a reduction of 2.4% across the city of Edinburgh (p = 0.39) but with the direction of effect uncertain. Conclusions The implementation of the city-wide 20mph speed limit intervention was associated with meaningful reductions in traffic speeds but not volume. The reduction observed in road traffic speed may act as a mechanism to lessen the frequency and severity of collisions and casualties, increase road safety, and improve liveability.
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-12-31 |