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Safer Roadways: A Complete Streets Guide
Figure 2-7 HIN Crash Statistics
In Hillsborough County, 94% of fatal crashes occurred on corridors where posted speeds exceeded 40 MPH. Of the total fatal crashes, 83% occurred during non-peak travel periods when volumes are lower, and speeds are higher. In addition, almost 60% of the fatal crashes occurred at mid-block locations and where more than four travel lanes exist. 8 The Speed Management Action Plan consulted national best practices to validate if the posted speed limits on the Top 20 High Injury Network corridors were appropriate and provided rationale for their context. The High Injury Network consists of the deadliest corridors in Hillsborough County based on the latest crash records. Overall, it was found that 70% of the deadliest corridors in the County have posted speed limits that are 5-10 MPH above national best practices. An additional 15% of the corridors have posted speed limits that are 15-20 MPH above national best practices. It is critically important to note that the high posted speed limits on the Top 20 HIN corridors are facilitating high risk exposure that result in fatal and serious injuries for all users (motor vehicles, pedestrians, and bicyclists). Target Speed = Design Speed = Posted Speed Speed limits frame expectations for drivers and other roadway users. Properly set speed limits provide a safe, consistent, and reasonable speed to protect drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists along the roadway. At the same time, speed limits can be a source of frustration and confusion; for example, not all drivers like to travel at the same speed, and some people may not understand why the speed limit changes on a particular road. In addition,
8 Hillsborough Transportation Planning Organization, Speed Management Action Plan, 2020 http://www.planhillsborough.org/speed-management-action-plan/
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