  Max Cameron |
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Abstract
This study explored the potential economic costs and benefits of changes to speed limits on rural roads in Australia. Net costs and benefits were estimated over a range of mean travel speeds (80 to 130 km/h) for the following road classes: - freeway standard rural roads (dual carriageway roads with grade-separated intersections and a design speed of 130 km/h, usually designed as such when originally constructed) - other divided rural roads (not of freeway standard) - two-lane undivided rural roads (standard-width and shoulder-sealed roads, with different crash rates, were considered separately). Specific objectives were to explore a number of scenarios, such as: - increasing limits on high standard roads with a low crash rate (per vehiclekilometre) from 110 to 130 km/h (or intermediate speeds) - increasing limits on high standard roads with a low crash rate from 110 to 130 km/h subject to a variable speed limit system that would reduce speeds under adverse conditions such as poor light, bad weather or dense traffic ( VSL option ) - decreasing limits on lower standard rural roads with higher crash rates.
This paper has been peer reviewed