Evaluation of Dynamic Speed Display Signs (DSDS)

Dynamic speed display signs (DSDS), devices that detect and display a vehicle's current speed back to the driver, have been shown to have a significant speed-reducing effect in temporary applications such as work zones or neighborhood speed watch programs. In this report, researchers examined the effectiveness of DSDS installed permanently in several locations that were experiencing speed-related problems. Seven sites were evaluated,including a school speed zone, two transition speed zones in advance of a school speed zone, two sharp horizontal curves, and two approaches to signalized intersections on high-speed roadways. Data were collected before the DSDS were installed, about one week after installation to determine initial effects of the signs upon vehicle speeds, and again about four months after installation to determine how well the initial speed reductions were maintained. Researchers analyzed average speeds, 85th percentile speeds, percent of the sample exceeding the speed limit and standard deviations of the samples. Also, least square regression analyses between the speed of a vehicle upstream of the DSDS and that vehicle's speed measured again at the DSDS were performed to determine whether the sign affected higher speed vehicles more than lower speed vehicles. Overall, average speeds were reduced by 9 miles per hour at the school speed zone. Elsewhere, the effect of the DSDS was less dramatic, with average speeds reduced by 5 mph or less, depending on the location tested. As expected, the influence of a DSDS was found to differ depending on how fast a motorist approached the DSDS. Those motorists traveling faster than the posted speed did appear to reduce their speed more significantly in response to the DSDS than did motorists traveling at or below the posted speed limit. The results of this project suggest that DSDS can be effective at reducing speeds in permanent applications if appropriate site conditions apply.