248 Performance evaluation of physical speed management devices on local rural roads in Bangladesh

<h3>Background</h3> Speed is a leading risk factor that affects the probability and severity of collisions and contributes to pedestrian fatalities in Bangladesh’s rural areas. Although several infrastructure-based engineering tools have been implemented to reduce the number of fatalities and major injuries in Bangladesh’s rural areas, their effectiveness are yet to be assessed. To identify the pragmatic speed management measures for Bangladesh’s local rural roads that may be widely used in different road settings throughout the rural road network is the aim and signifies the importance of this study. <h3>Methodology</h3> Three types of speed management tools, speed bump, speed limit sign, and rumble strips, were studied at nine different locations on Bangladesh’s local rural roads. To fulfil the research goal, the study was divided into three primary parts: speed study - to test the effectiveness of speed reduction; conflict study - to verify the safety perspective; and questionnaire survey and observational study - to grasp the community’s perspectives. <h3>Results</h3> The most effective physical device in terms of reducing conflict probability and speed was found to be the speed bump. The findings of the speed and conflict studies were found consistent with road users’ views. Though some negative consequences which are due to non-standard dimensions and absence of advance signage and marking. The best result as a speed calming device may be achieved by placing speed bumps and humps appropriately with proper engineering design, including dimension, transition slope, sign, and manufacturing process. This will also decrease the likelihood of traffic conflicts and improve the safety performance. <h3>Conclusions</h3> The majority of speed management devices placed on Bangladeshi local rural roads were found not to adhere to standards, which means that the interventions’ results fall short of what was anticipated. For the local users, the non-standard devices brought up unwanted problems, including discomfort, increased conflicts, and vehicle damage. All non-standard measures should be replaced immediately with appropriate ones and must adhere to standard procedures. Since there is little research data available from low- and middle-income nations, the results of this study will add cross validation to the existing domain of speed management research.