L'influence des abords de la route sur la vitesse pratiquée par le conducteur en milieu urbain

Abstract

In Quebec, the way speed limits are managed is mainly not quite adapted to the urban environment. As a rule, to be effective, speed limits should instinctively be respected by most drivers. Studies that have been led to discover how exactly to achieve this goal have showed that drivers are more influenced by their environment than by the speed limit sign itself. The main objective of this study is to determine exactly what roadsides aspects of urban areas will influence the driver's chosen speed. This objective will be achieved by the following methodological steps: identification of roadside variables, development of a observations sheet, choice of the criteria for selecting study sites, collection of field data, description of studied sites, data analysis and linking of speed practiced with roadside variables. The study is conducted in urban sites located in cities of the province of Quebec whose posted speed limit does not exceed 60 km / h. Results of the study will help us to learn more about the influence of different roadsides constituents on driver's speed and discern which ones are most influential. According to the regression analysis, peripheral vision, occupancy rate of on-street parking, presence of institutional buildings or accesses, distance from street poles and the density of cyclists all have an influence on changes in average speeds. The identification of these variables is an advantage in determining appropriate speed limits on roads in urban areas in Quebec.