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Road Safety Impact of Increased Rural Highway Speed Limits in British Columbia, Canada

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  • Jeffrey R Brubacher

    (The University of British Columbia, Department of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada)

  • Herbert Chan

    (The University of British Columbia, Department of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada)

  • Shannon Erdelyi

    (The University of British Columbia, Department of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada)

  • Gordon Lovegrove

    (The University of British Columbia (Okanagan Campus), School of Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science, Kelowna, British Columbia V1V 1V7, Canada)

  • Farhad Faghihi

    (The University of British Columbia (Okanagan Campus), School of Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science, Kelowna, British Columbia V1V 1V7, Canada)

Abstract

Control of vehicle speed is a central tenet of the safe systems approach to road safety. Most research shows that raising speed limits results in more injuries. Advocates of higher speed limits argue that this conclusion is based on older research, that traffic fatalities are decreasing despite higher speed limits, and that modern vehicles are able to safely travel at higher speeds. These arguments were used to justify raising speed limits on rural highways in British Columbia, Canada (July 2014). We used an interrupted time series approach to evaluate the impact of these speed limit increases on fatal crashes, auto-insurance claims, and ambulance dispatches for road trauma. Events were mapped to affected road segments (with increased speed limits) and to nearby road segments (within 5 km of an affected segment). Separate linear regression models were fitted for each outcome and road segment group. Models included gasoline sales to account for changes in vehicle travel. Our main findings were significant increases in (i) total insurance claims (43.0%; 95% Confidence Interval [CI] = 16.0–76.4%), (ii) injury claims (30.0%; 95% CI = 9.5–54.2%), and (iii) fatal crashes (118.0; 95% CI = 10.9–225.1%) on affected road segments. Nearby segments had a 25.7% increase in insurance claims (95% CI = 16.1–36.1%).

Suggested Citation

  • Jeffrey R Brubacher & Herbert Chan & Shannon Erdelyi & Gordon Lovegrove & Farhad Faghihi, 2018. "Road Safety Impact of Increased Rural Highway Speed Limits in British Columbia, Canada," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-19, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:10:p:3555-:d:173717
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Richter, E.D. & Barach, P. & Friedman, L. & Krikler, S. & Israeli, A., 2004. "Raised Speed Limits, Speed Spillover, Case-Fatality Rates, and Road Deaths in Israel: A 5-Year Follow-Up," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 94(4), pages 568-574.
    2. Michael Greenstone, 2002. "A Reexamination of Resource Allocation Responses to the 65-MPH Speed Limit," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 40(2), pages 271-278, April.
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    4. Patrick McCarthy, 2001. "Effect of speed limits on speed distributions and highway safety: A survey of recent literature," Transport Reviews, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(1), pages 31-50, January.
    5. Brubacher, J.R. & Chan, H. & Brasher, P. & Erdelyi, S. & Desapriya, E. & Asbridge, M. & Purssell, R. & Macdonald, S. & Schuurman, N. & Pike, I., 2014. "Reduction in fatalities, ambulance calls, and hospital admissions for road trauma after implementation of new traffic laws," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 104(10), pages 89-97.
    6. Lave, Charles & Elias, Patrick, 1994. "Did the 65 mph Speed Limit Save Lives?," University of California Transportation Center, Working Papers qt0z88b38t, University of California Transportation Center.
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