SPOT SPEED STUDY

Objective:
1. To determine the speed characteristics of traffic at the spot location.
2. To determine the speed limit of the drivers
Apparatus:
1. Radar gun app
2. Forms ss1 and ss2
3. Safety vest
Procedure:
1. Identify the spot at which the speed data will be collected.
2. Use the radar gun to measure the speed of vehicles according to their respective vehicle
class – Class 1 (Motorcycles), Class 2 (Cars), Class 3 (Vans & Medium Trucks), and
Class 4 (Large Trucks & Buses).
3. Record all speed measurements in Form SS1.
4. Based on Form SS1, determine the mean, maximum and minimum speed of vehicles
according to their class. Comment on your findings.
5. Transfer the data in Form SS1 to Form SS2.
6. Plot the following:
(a) Frequency Histogram (Percentage of vehicles vs. Speed)
(b) Frequency Distribution Curve (Percentage of vehicles vs. Speed)
(c) Cumulative Frequency Distribution Curve (Cumulative percentage vs. Speed)
7. Determine the following speed characteristics:
(a) Mean speed
(b) Median speed
(c) Mode speed
(d) 85-th Percentile speed
(e) Standard deviation
(f) Pace
 Form SS1
Location:
Date:
Time:
Weather:

Spot Speed (km/h)

Time Vehicle Class

1 2 3 4
 Form SS2

Speed Class Class Class fx Percentage Cumulative

(km/h) Midvalue, x Frequency, f in Class Percentage
(km/h)

Formulae
𝛴𝑓𝑥
Mean speed = 𝑛
f = frequency of observations in the particular class
x = mid-point of each class
n = total number of observations = Σf
𝑛
( )−𝑓𝐿
2
Median speed = L + [ ]xC
𝑓𝑚

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

n = total number of observations
fL = cumulative number of observation up to 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

𝛴𝑓𝑥 2 (𝛴𝑓𝑥)2
Standard Deviation = √ 𝑛−1 − 𝑛(𝑛−1)
f = frequency of observations in the particular class
x = mid-point of each class
n = total number of observations = Σf
Terminology
Pace = the 10 km/h range in speed in which the highest number of observation was
recorded
85th Percentile speed = the speed at or below which 85 percent of the motorists drive on a
given road unaffected by slower traffic or poor weather
1.
Class 1 (Motorcycles)
Mean speed :
Maximum speed:
Minimum speed :

Class 2 (Cars)
Mean speed :
Maximum speed:
Minimum speed :

Class 3 (Vans & Medium Trucks)

Mean speed :
Maximum speed:
Minimum speed :
Class 4 (Heavy Trucks & Buses)
Mean speed :
Maximum speed:
Minimum speed :

All Vehicle Types

Mean speed :
Maximum speed:
Minimum speed :

2.
a) Median Speed =
b) Mean Speed =
c) Mode Speed =
d) Standard Deviation =
e) 85th Percentile Speed =
f) Pace =