SpeedNabber™ for Work Sites/Zones

In work zones there is a need to calm traffic. The safety of the work crews are of paramount importance. Each year significant numbers of workers are either injured or killed in work zone related accidents.

In 1999, the states of Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska created the Midwest States Smart Work Zone Deployment Initiative (MwSWZDI). Through this pooled-fund study, researchers investigate better ways of controlling traffic through work zones. Their goal is to improve the safety and efficiency of traffic operations and highway work. Since its inception other states have joined the MwSWZDI consortium. The MwSWZDI has evaluated radar actuated speed displays in several contexts. Popular thought is that the displays are effective for only a few days, after which the novelty effect dissipates and drivers begin to ignore the device. This evaluation was conducted on a two-lane rural commuter route just west of Lawrence, Kansas. Data were collected for approximately one hour each work day for approximately 8 weeks. The speed display was present for five weeks, with one and a half weeks of before data and one and a half weeks of after data. The data showed statistically significant reductions in mean speed, 85th percentile speed, and percent speeding. Mean and 85th percentile speed reductions were both about 5 mph. Percent speeding dropped from about 80% (baseline) to about 40% when the display was present. The percent of drivers traveling at least 5 mph over the speed limit dropped from about 30% to less than 5%. The reductions were consistent for the entire deployment, demonstrating that the speed display?s effectiveness was not due to its novelty.

The most basic version of SpeedNabber provides for highly accurate radar speed detection and speed display in a very portable package. The system is battery powered and can be easily relocated. In many cases this will provide for significant traffic calming. However in certain situations the addition of license plate capture provides significantly more incentive to the vehicle operator to reduce speed. Enforcement may take the form of a warning letter to the owner of the offending vehicle and eventually the issuance of one or more speed violation tickets to the offending vehicle.