BFC 32302

Example of Spot Speed Study

A spot speed study was conducted along a state road experiencing frequent road accidents. The
posted speed limit of the road is 60 km/h. The spot speed data collected are shown in the following
table:

Speed Class Number of vehicles

(km/h) Vehicle Class Total
1 2 3 4
40 – 44 3 2 5
45 – 49 4 1 3 8
50 – 54 5 1 3 3 12
55 – 59 3 1 2 4 10
60 – 64 3 2 4 6 15
65 – 69 1 5 8 7 21
70 – 74 6 5 5 16
75 – 79 1 5 3 2 11
80 – 84 7 2 1 10
85 – 89 3 1 4
90 – 94 5 5
95 – 99 3 1 4
100 – 104 4 1 5
105 – 109 1 1
110 – 114 3 3

Note: Vehicle class 1: Motorcycles

Vehicle class 2: Cars
Vehicle class 3: Vans and medium trucks
Vehicle class 4: Heavy trucks and buses

Analyse the spot speed data. Present the findings of this study.

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Solution

Speed Class Upper limit Class Number of Percentage of Cumulative

(km/h) (km/h) Midpoint Observations Total Percentage
(km/h) Observation
39.5 0 0 0.00
40 – 44 44.5 42 5 3.85 3.85
45 – 49 49.5 47 8 6.15 10.00
50 – 54 54.5 52 12 9.23 19.23
55 – 59 59.5 57 10 7.69 26.92
60 – 64 64.5 62 15 11.54 38.46
65 – 69 69.5 67 21 16.15 54.62
70 – 74 74.5 72 16 12.31 66.92
75 – 79 79.5 77 11 8.46 75.38
80 – 84 84.5 82 10 7.69 83.08
85 – 89 89.5 87 4 3.08 86.15
90 – 94 94.5 92 5 3.85 90.00
95 – 99 99.5 97 4 3.08 93.08
100 – 104 104.5 102 5 3.85 96.92
105 – 109 109.5 107 1 0.77 97.69
110 – 114 114.5 112 3 2.31 100.00
Total = 130 Total = 100%

Graphical Representation of Data:

1) Frequency Histogram

18

16

14
% of total observations

12

10

0
40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115
4

0 09
4
45 44

50 49

55 54
60 59

65 64

70 69
75 74

80 79

85 84
90 89

95 94
9
0

10 – 9
10 10

11
1
–
–

–
–

–
–

Speed (km/h)
–

–
40

0
5
11

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2) Frequency Distribution Curve

18

16

% of total observations 14

12

10

0
30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120

Speed (km/h)

3) Cumulative Frequency Distribution Curve

120
110
100
90
Cumulative percentage

80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120

Speed (km/h)

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Mean speed

Mean speed = Σfx

n

f = frequency of observations in the particular class

x = mid-point of each class
n = total number of observations = Σf

Speed Class Class Number of fx

(km/h) Midpoint, Observations,
x f
40 – 44 42 5 210
45 – 49 47 8 376
50 – 54 52 12 624
55 – 59 57 10 570
60 – 64 62 15 930
65 – 69 67 21 1407
70 – 74 72 16 1152
75 – 79 77 11 847
80 – 84 82 10 820
85 – 89 87 4 348
90 – 94 92 5 460
95 – 99 97 4 388
100 – 104 102 5 510
105 – 109 107 1 107
110 – 114 112 3 336
Total = 130 Total = 9085

Therefore, the mean speed = 9085 / 130 = 69.9 km/h

Median speed

 n  
  2  − fL 
Median speed = L +     ×C
 fm 
 
 

L = lower limit of the class in which the median lies

n = total number of observations
fL = cumulative number of observation upto the lower limit of the class in
which the median lies
fm= number of observations in the class in which the median lies
C = speed interval of the group

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Speed Class Lower limit Number of Cumulative

(km/h) (km/h) Observations number of
observations
40 – 44 39.5 5 5
L 45 – 49 44.5 8 13
50 – 54 49.5 12 25
55 – 59 54.5 10 35 fL

Median lies in 60 – 64 59.5 15 50

this speed class 65 – 69 64.5 21 71
70 – 74 69.5 16 87
75 – 79 74.5 11 98
80 – 84 79.5 10 108 fm
85 – 89 84.5 4 112
90 – 94 89.5 5 117
95 – 99 94.5 4 121
100 – 104 99.5 5 126
105 – 109 104.5 1 127
110 – 114 109.5 3 130
Total = 130

  130  
  2  − 50 
Therefore, the median speed = 64.5 +     × 5 = 68.1 km/h
 21 
 
 

Alternatively, the median can be obtained from the cumulative frequency distribution curve:

Pace

Pace = the 10 km/h range in speed in which the highest number of observation
was recorded

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18

16

14
Pace
% of total observations

12

10

2
62 km/h 72 km/h
0
30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120

Speed (km/h)

Therefore, the pace is 62 – 72 km/h and 30% of the vehicles are in pace.

30% of vehicles
in pace

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th
85 Percentile Speed

The 85th percentile speed is the speed at or below which 85 percent of the motorists drive on a given
road unaffected by slower traffic or poor weather.

This speed indicates the speed that most motorists on the road consider safe and reasonable under
ideal conditions.

It is a good guideline for the appropriate speed limit for that road.

th
The 85 percentile speed as obtained from the cumulative frequency distribution curve shown below
is 88 km/h.

Standard Deviation

The description of central tendancy is not sufficient to define a distribution, therefore a measure of
dispersion or spread is required.

Σfx 2 (Σfx)2
Standard Deviation = −
n − 1 n(n − 1)
where
f = frequency of observations in the particular class
x = mid-point of each class
n = total number of observations = Σf

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2 2
Speed Class Class x Number of fx fx
(km/h) Midpoint, Observations,
X f
40 – 44 42 1764 5 210 8820
45 – 49 47 2209 8 376 17672
50 – 54 52 2704 12 624 32448
55 – 59 57 3249 10 570 32490
60 – 64 62 3844 15 930 57660
65 – 69 67 4489 21 1407 94269
70 – 74 72 5184 16 1152 82944
75 – 79 77 5929 11 847 65219
80 – 84 82 6724 10 820 67240
85 – 89 87 7569 4 348 30276
90 – 94 92 8464 5 460 42320
95 – 99 97 9409 4 388 37636
100 – 104 102 10404 5 510 52020
105 – 109 107 11449 1 107 11449
110 – 114 112 12544 3 336 37632
Total = 130 Total = 9085 Total = 670095

670095 (9085)2
Therefore, the standard deviation = − = 16.5 km/h
130 − 1 130(130 − 1)

An estimate of Standard Deviation can be obtained by using this formula:

P85 − P15 88 − 53
Estimated standard deviation = = = 17.5 km/h
2 2

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Findings from this spot speed study:

Mean speed = 69.9 km/h

Median speed = 68.1 km/h

Pace = 62 – 72 km/h

Percentage of vehicles in pace = 30%

th
85 percentile speed = 88.0 km/h

Driving over the speed limit = 95 / 130 = 73.1%

Conclusion:

It can be concluded that speeding is a problem at this location and may have contributed to road
accidents which have occurred at this location.

This is supported by the results of the findings which show that mean, median, pace and 85th
percentile speeds have all exceeded the 60 km/h speed limit.

In addition, 30% of the drivers drive at speeds ranging between 62 – 72 km/h, and 85% of them drive
at 88.0 km/h or below. 95 individual vehicles, or 73.1% of the vehicles, were detected to have driven
over the speed limit.

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