Safe speeds and safe roads are critical components in safety outcomes within the Safe System Approach and particularly in the context of developing self-enforcing and self-explaining roads.

This research considers speed management in terms of speed reductions and potential reductions in injury severity based on current and future system operations to allow for an improved speed management understanding in terms of measurable safety outcomes. The research shall further FHWA’s Safe System Approach for speed management by helping state departments of transportation (DOTs) and other transportation agencies understand the practices necessary to set and achieve safer speeds. In summary, the research shall focus on applications of speed management and the full scope of its application in planning, design, operations, and communication/public outreach.

The objective of this research is to develop a guide with tools and case studies to assist in broad applications of speed management within the Safe System Approach. The guide may consider:

·       Developing safe speed (injury minimization) approaches to reduce deaths and serious injuries;

·       Developing new and reviewing/revising existing speed management functions (SpMFs);

·       Documenting the applicability of SpMFs to different contexts for use in determining available speed management strategies for facilities in those contexts;

·       Providing methods for state DOTs to collect speed reduction/management data, perform analysis, and apply SpMFs in safety assessments to improve how SpMFs are developed; and

·       Providing strategies on how agencies can plan and communicate changes to the public so that projects receive appropriate public input, scope, and support.