INTRODUCTION

The traditional methods of conducting laboratory activities will not be able to provide the
avenue for students to enhance independent learning activities and inculcate creativity and
innovation. Level 0 is fully prescriptive where problem, ways & means and answers are
provided to the students. However it is still necessary especially to first and second year
students.

In this laboratory activity, students are required to conduct a spot speed study by
recording the speeds of sample of vehicles at a specified location in order to estimate the
distribution of speeds of vehicles. Students are provided with the methodology and guidelines
for results and analysis to be presented in their report.

OBJECTIVES

1. To establish the speed distribution of a traffic at a specific site or called as basic speed
data.
2. To determine vehicle speed percentiles via speed trend analysis, which are useful in
speed related decision making.

THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

The distribution of speeds of vehicles in a traffic at a certain place on a road can be

found through spot speed studies. The speed of a vehicle is defined as the rate of movement
of the vehicle which be regarded in kilometers per hour (km/h). A spot speed study is carried
out by recording the speeds of a sample of vehicles at a specified location. However, speed
characteristics identified by such a study will be valid only for the traffic and environmental
conditions that exist at the time of the study. [ CITATION Gar09 \l 1033 ]

Speed characteristics determined from a spot speed study may be used to:

• Establish parameters for traffic operation and control, such as speed zones, speed limits
(85th-percentile speed is commonly used as the speed limit on a road), and passing
restrictions.

• Evaluate the effectiveness of traffic control devices, such as variable message signs at work
zones.
• Monitor the effect of speed enforcement programs, such as the use of drone radar and the
use of differential speed limits for passenger cars and trucks.

• Evaluate and or determine the adequacy of highway geometric characteristics, such as radii
of horizontal curves and lengths of vertical curves.

• Evaluate the effect of speed on highway safety through the analysis of crash data for
different speed characteristics.

• Determine speed trends and determine whether complaints about speeding are valid.

APPARATUS AND MATERIALS

1. Radar speed meter (Radar gun)

2. Safety vests
3. Measuring wheel
4. Clipboard and field data form
5. Stopwatch

PROCEDURES

1. The necessary preparations was performed such as sufficient pen or pencils, radar
meter spot speed study data forms and clipboards, radar speed meters are in good
condition, the instructions were read for the used radar gun, obtain power battery,
safety vast and others.
2. The study location was decided. The selected site should be a straight and level road
sections that represents different traffic conditions.
3. Enumerators should arrive 30 minutes earlier at side in order to familiarize by visual
survey with it prior to select strategic location. The equipment was distributed, the
general information of the speed spot data recording forms were filled that comprise
the observer’s name, time, date, name of site, posted speed limit and weather
condition and begin at the planned time.
4. The layout of the study area was sketch with the description of chosen reference
points, position of observation, number of lanes and road class.
5. The enumerators, the radar unit and the station for speed data collection should be
inconspicuous where possible so that vehicular speeds are significantly not effected
by the data collection activities.
 6. The samples were randomly selected, for example the observer recorded a speed
reading for every third vehicle or every fifth vehicle.
7. The radar meter should be made as direct a line with oncoming traffic as possible,
meaning to make it as close to the roadway as possible (an exception when the
vehicles selected and radar unit tends to affect vehicles speeds considerably.)
8. A slash was recorded on the speed data sheet corresponding to the speed observed for
each selected vehicle under the appropriate vehicle-type classifications.
9. The vehicle speeds were observed for the 100 samples.

RESULT
 TABLE 1: THE FREQUENCY ACCORDING TO VEHICLE CLASSIFICATION
Speed range
(km/h) VEHICLE TYPES

Motorcycles Cars Buses Lorries Vans

16 - 20 - 1 - - -

21 - 25 - 1 - - -

26 - 30 2 - - 1 2

31 - 35 4 14 2 4 -

36 - 40 9 14 - 2 -

41 - 45 8 19 - - -

46 - 50 9 5 - - -
51 - 55 1 1 - - -
56 - 60 1 - - - -
TOTAL 34 55 2 7 2
 MID
SPEED FREQUENCY CUMULATIVE
SPEED FREQUENCY,
RANGE PERCENTAGE FREQUENCY F(U-Ub)2
,U F
(km/h) (%) (%)
(km/h)
F*U
16-20 18 1 18 1 1 449.44
21-25 23 1 23 1 2 262.44
26-30 28 5 140 5 7 627.2
31-35 33 24 792 24 31 922.56
36-40 38 25 950 25 56 36
41-45 43 27 1161 27 83 389.88
46-50 48 14 672 14 97 1084.16
51-55 53 2 106 2 99 380.88
56-60 58 1 58 1 100 353.44
TOTAL 100 3920 4506

FREQUENCY HISTOGRAM
30
27
25
25 24
FREQUENCY OF VEHICLE

20

15 14

10

5
5
2
1 1 1
0
16-20 21-25 26-30 31-35 36-40 41-45 46-50 51-55 55-60

VEHICLE SPEED RANGE (km/h)

FIGURE 1: FREQUENCY HISTOGRAM

CALCULATION
 1. Arithmetic Mean Speed, Ub =
∑ FU
F
3920
=
100
= 39.2
2. Median Speed
From graph figure 3, P50 = 37 km/h

3. Modal Speed
From the Histogram in figure 1, the Modal Speed is at range 41 – 45 km/h with the
number of frequency of 27 vehicle.

4. Standard Deviation

S=
√ ∑ f ( U−Ub )2
N−1

S=
√ 4506
100−1

= ± 6.75

5. Standard Error
S
D=
N
6.75
=
100
= 0.675

Adequacy of data for 95 % confident significant level

95% mean + 1.96 D

= 32.9 + 1.96 (0.675)

= 31.59 to 34.22

6. From Graph;

P15 = 30.5 km/h

P85 = 43.5 km/h

P98 = 49.5 km/h

DISCUSSION
 Our study was done along the road from Pejabat Bendahari towards Dataran
Cendekia. The study involved 100 number of data which includes cars, buses, vans, lorry and
motorcycles. The road was chosen because it is often used by the road users in UiTM. Apart
from that, the road is straight and no intersection at which the observation can be disturbed.

We have done the observation by shooting the vehicles using the radar gun at 30 o
angle. This is to ensure the result to be more accurate. It was done from 2.45 pm to 3.20 pm.

Based on Garber and Hoel, speed characteristics can be found from the significant
values during the observation. These values are average speed, median speed, modal speed,

the ith-percentile spot speed, pace and standard deviation of speed. [ CITATION Gar09 \l
1033 ]

Based on the calculation done, it can be found that the arithmetic mean speed is 39.2
km/h. Meanwhile, the median speed is 37 km/h which is obtained from the cumulative
frequency distribution curve. The median speed is also known as the 50 th-percentile speed. At
the 15th, 85th and 98th-perentile speeds are 30.5 km/h, 43.5 km/h and 49.5 km/h respectively.

Next, the modal speed is 43 km/h according to the frequency histogram. The standard
deviation has been calculated using its respective formula and found to be ± 6.75 km/h.

The term 'Pace' refers to the range of speed which shows the biggest number of
observations.[ CITATION Gar09 \l 1033 ] In our observation, a set of speed data between 16
and 60 km/h. Thus, we decided to use an interval of 5 km/h. The pace is 41 km/h to 45 km/h
since it shows the highest number of observations.

The standard error that is allowed in the experiment is ± 0.675 km/h. The adequacy
of data for 95 % confident significant level was checked and found to be between 31.59 to
34.22 km/h.
CONCLUSION

It can be concluded that, the speed distributions of the vehicles along our study
location have been observed through spot speed study. For this experiment, the data were
collected by using radar gun method. It was found that the highest speed tabulated was in the
range 41 km/h to 45 km/h. Moreover, it can also be observed that the road has highest
number of car users which are 55 out 100 vehicles.

According to a study done by University of South Florida’s Center for Urban

Transportation Research (CUTR), a speed limit of 40 km/h was recommended for its campus
area. [CITATION 1310 \l 2057 ]

If our campus were to use this recommended limit, it can be seen that the mean speed
found in our study is not suitable. By implementing new speed limit, it can ensure more
safety especially for the pedestrians, bicycle users as well as motorcycle users.

RECOMMENDATION

In addition, there are several factors that need to be well taken to ensure the accuracy
of the data such as the location for the study, time of day, period of the study and the
minimum sample size necessary for the limit of acceptable error. [ CITATION Gar09 \l
1033 ]

The radar gun should be used to shoot the vehicle at 30o angle and should not be
obvious to the sight of the vehicles' user.

Therefore, it can be suggested that our university should implement a safe speed limit
to increase safety and reduce the number of accidents in the campus area.

REFERENCES

Garber, N. J., & Hoel, L. A. (2009). Traffic & Highway Engineering Fourth Edition. Toronto:
Cengage Learning.
USF Speed Limit Study. (2013, 10 16). Retrieved from Center for Urban Transportation
Research (CUTR): http://www.cutr.usf.edu/2013/10/usf-speed-limit-study/
APPENDIX

Picture 1, 2 & 3: These are some of the apparatus and materials used for the study.
 Picture 4: The picture above shows our study location which is in front of Pejabat
Bendahari.

Picture 5: One of our group member used the measuring wheel to measure the width of the
road.

Picture 6: The radar gun was used to capture the vehicles' speed and the other members will
record the reading as well as type of cars.
Picture 7 & 8: The pictures show some of the vehicles that were included in our sample data.