Introduction
Spot speed studies are conducted to estimate the distribution of speeds of vehicles in a stream of
traffic at a particular location on a highway. The speed of a vehicle is defined as the rate of
movement of the vehicle; it is usually expressed in miles per hour (mi/h) or kilometers per hour
(km/h). A spot speed study is carried out by recording the speeds of a sample of vehicles at a
specified location. Speed characteristics identified by such a study will be valid only for the
traffic and environmental conditions that exist at the time of the study. Speed characteristics
determined from a spot speed study may be used to:
• Establish parameters for traffic operation and control, such as speed zones, speed limits
and passing restrictions.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of traffic control devices, such as variable message signs at
work zones.
• Monitor the effect of speed enforcement programs, such as the use of drone radar and the
use of differential speed limits for passenger cars and trucks.
• Evaluate and or determine the adequacy of highway geometric characteristics, such as
radii of horizontal curves and lengths of vertical curves.
• Evaluate the effect of speed on highway safety through the analysis of crash data for
different speed characteristics.
• Determine speed trends.
• Determine whether complaints about speeding are valid
When spot speed studies are being conducted, it is important that unbiased data be obtained. This
requires that drivers be unaware that such a study is being conducted. Equipment used therefore,
should be concealed from the driver, and observers conducting the study should be
inconspicuous. Since the speeds recorded eventually will be subjected to statistical analysis, it is
important that a statistically adequate number of vehicle speeds be recorded.
Objectives
The aim of the study was to collect spot speeds of vehicles along a road section and compute the
descriptive statistics.
Methodology
A suitable location was chosen in such a way that the recorded speeds reflected how
vehicles typically travel along unimpeded sections of the road under free-flow conditions.
The length of the section was measured and recorded.
Two flags’ men were positioned on both ends of the roadway section.
The flagman was instructed to raise their flag when the front axle of the vehicle passed
through the reference point on the inbound side of the road section and so with the
flagman on the outbound point of the section. The observer, who was in charge with the
stopwatch was positioned in such a way that he/she could see both flagmen clearly.
Observed time was then communicated to the recorder who was in charge of recording all
the data obtained throughout the study period.
The data obtained were tabulated and the required parameters associated with roadway
speeds calculated.
Spot speeds are calculated from the formula;
Speed = distance/time
Distance of road section was measured and found to be 85km
Speed(km/ speed(km/hr)
hr)
33.52 49.84
30.60 32.52
36.00 31.07
38.25 29.39
43.71 30.45
41.46 25.06
43.71 34.85
29.14 30.42
43.71 28.90
43.71 25.50
47.08 29.37
38.25 31.88
43.71 23.16
57.20 41.52
43.28 44.93
45.74 18.00
59.42 30.09
31.29 38.78
46.65 25.76
25.50 49.04
38.73 35.83
41.92 49.92
43.53 33.15
41.07 32.14
35.13 26.52
34.00 40.75
30.97 48.26
26.87 30.06
26.91 25.76
43.71 26.45
34.00 34.62
32.69 47.59
36.87 51.26
55.14 45.07
44.74 35.29
46.58 38.25
32.24 41.63
37.45 37.41
34.81 36.52
39.90 43.65
31.10 39.79
36.69 38.25
50.25 25.63
36.69 31.58
39.13 52.76
34.97 35.71
36.04 38.25
44.74 38.25
33.33 37.14
37.59 50.50
39.03 38.88
42.27 30.36
29.82 35.21
38.06 55.43
32.14 28.57
41.80 37.97
34.23 38.25
36.96 38.11
42.38 21.81
38.73 40.85
46.36 22.17
40.96 29.23
34.50 40.26
34.00 33.66
31.55 34.97
34.50 39.95
27.69 34.04
23.68 44.61
30.51 39.53
32.21 32.97
37.00 35.25
33.96 23.52
44.03 24.66
27.18 47.81
46.02 23.38
40.80 39.18
34.69 33.59
31.26 31.61
38.39 27.30
30.91 31.61
32.80 31.55
33.66 28.07
34.58 25.63
29.80 26.72
29.42 39.43
48.42 16.99
30.36 40.00
51.78 26.31
31.26 35.62
55.04 43.47
45.67 36.13
38.69 42.68
38.83 41.69
39.08 33.01
35.79 27.49
30.69 35.38
34.46 42.80
33.12 41.98
42.09 36.08
25.04 46.15
34.62 28.71
31.58 44.48
38.64 30.24
37.09 30.54
34.73 16.61
35.09 16.61
33.05 18.64
39.43 16.74
35.01 33.70
39.33 29.00
20.82 28.28
37.36 30.63
24.54 29.37
33.19 31.88
29.23 33.08
29.54 33.66
43.78 28.60
51.17 35.21
23.25 38.39
43.16 35.75
45.67 30.09
35.17 23.72
38.49 33.74
33.15 28.87
22.85 36.87
29.85 44.16
41.98 41.41
59.19 25.19
37.64 22.43
31.16 26.09
29.20 21.41
48.57 21.46
35.01 30.85
29.51 32.97
36.82 29.12
38.93 50.75
37.14 24.98
26.89 34.42
30.18 42.62
35.50 30.09
29.17 37.36
31.00 30.00
45.40 34.19
54.64 34.62
37.32 33.92
32.21 32.08
49.76 33.48
58.51 26.91
33.81 30.57
31.81 30.30
28.87 30.33
26.33 29.45
36.87 22.30
31.71 35.75
40.00 40.85
24.76 31.64
24.02 38.88
Highest speed= 59.42km/hr
Lowest speed = 16.16km/hr
Range = 59.42-16.16
= 42.81km/hr
To find the class width:
42.81/8 =5.35
42.81/20= 2.14
Suitable class width = 4
Number of classes = 42.81/4
=10.7
= 11 classes
Speed class(km/hr)
Mid-value(ui) Frequency (f) fiuj % of observations in class cumulative % of observations in class f(ui-u)^2
16-19.9 18 6 108 1.91 1.91 1795.61
20-23.9 22 14 308 4.46 6.37 2476.22
24-27.9 26 28 728 8.92 15.29 2421.39
28-31.9 30 65 1950 20.70 35.99 1825.41
32-35.9 34 67 2278 21.34 57.32 113.12
36-39.9 38 56 2128 17.83 75.16 408.43
40-43.9 42 36 1512 11.46 86.62 1616.35
44-47.9 46 20 920 6.37 92.99 2290.07
48-51.9 50 13 650 4.14 97.13 2809.41
52-55.9 54 5 270 1.59 98.73 1748.57
56-59.9 58 4 232 1.27 100.00 2061.28
Total 314 11084 19565.86
Average mean speed
= 11084/314
= 35.3km/hr
Standard deviation
= (19565.86/313)0.5
= ±7.91km/hr
Chart Title
25.00
20.00
15.00
Frequency(%)
10.00
5.00
0.00
15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65
Vehicle speed
From the frequency distribution graph above,
Pace = (28.5-38.5)km/hr
Chart Title
120
100
80
Cumulative observations
60
40
20
0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
Speed(km/hr)
From the graph;
Median speed (speed at a cumulative frequency of 50%)
= 34km/hr
The 85th percentile = 43.5km/hr
