Evaluation of the Speed Control Cameras in the City of Lisbon

Abstract

In Portugal, urban areas still have a high number of fatalities as a result of road crashes. In 2016, 78% of road crashes with victims, 62% with serious injuries and 54% with fatalities occurred in urban areas. Knowing where crashes occur and what circumstances contributed to these occurrences is the key to finding solutions that minimize injuries and deaths. At the end of 2016, as a safety measure, speed control cameras from SINCRO (Sistema Nacional de Controlo de Velocidade, the national speed control system), began to be installed in different parts of the country. The first application was in 2006 at several spots in the urban area of Lisbon. Cameras were installed in 20 of these locations. This study, using the location of the speed control cameras (which were only effective in 19 spots) and the 2004–2011 crash databases, sought to assess the effectiveness of the measure. The results showed that there was a positive effect on crash rates soon after implementation, but it was also perceived that this effect was attenuated in subsequent years. It is assumed that the reasons for this are due to the familiarization with the system, together with inefficient sanctioning of the violators, and additionally due to malfunctioning equipment not being repaired in a timely manner, which was evident to the users.

Keywords

• fixed speed cameras
• urban road crashes
• road safety
• before-and-after study