Research in Dubai reveals that reduced speed limits fail to effectively control excessive driving speeds among motorists.
In a groundbreaking study, the MIT Senseable City Lab has revealed that simply lowering speed limits or changing speed sign numbers is not effective enough to slow down drivers. Instead, street design plays a crucial role in influencing driver speed compliance.
The study, presented at a conference in Milan last month by Lab Lead Alaa AlRadwan and Director Carlo Ratti, analysed millions of images and vehicle mobility data across Milan, Amsterdam, and Dubai. The findings suggest that street design, in synergy with signage, is a major influence on speed compliance.
The study in the UAE is the first of its kind, and in collaboration with the Dubai Future Foundation, tools are being developed to help cities in the region redesign streets, especially in extreme climate conditions where walkability is already challenged.
Key strategies highlighted by the study include street geometry adjustments, strategic tree planting, curb alignment changes, and combining AI-driven predictions with design changes. Narrow, densely enclosed streets with high building density naturally slow traffic, while wide, open roads with long sightlines tend to invite faster driving. Modifying road layouts to reduce openness and increase enclosure helps reduce speeds.
Strategic tree planting acts as a visual and physical cue that can encourage drivers to slow down. Adjusting curb placement can influence driving behavior by physically altering the perceived road width and driver path. The study developed an AI model that predicts how modifications in street design—such as curb and tree placements—will affect driver speed compliance before any physical changes are made.
Dubai, along with Milan and Amsterdam, was chosen as one of the global test cities for the study due to its distinct urban morphology. The study analysed more than 51 million vehicle telemetry points provided by UnipolTech in Milan, paired with thousands of Google Street View images. In Amsterdam and Dubai, the model was tested and refined with support from local partners to capture cultural and geographic differences.
The AI model used by the Senseable City Lab can predict how changes in street design will affect driver speed compliance before construction begins. Martina Mazzarello, Global Labs Lead at the Senseable City Lab, commented on the study being the first of its kind in the UAE. The study shows that in 30km/h zones, drivers reduced their speed by just 2 to 3km/h compared to similar 50km/h streets unless the layout itself encouraged slower driving.
In high-density areas like Deira, the focus could be on refining pedestrian infrastructure and improving crossing safety. Newer districts in Dubai require targeted interventions, such as narrowing lanes, planting more street trees, and breaking up long sightlines. In older districts like Deira and Bur Dubai, physical features already slow vehicles naturally.
The research underscores the importance of integrating street design that intuitively slows drivers, beyond just relying on enforcing lower speed limits or signage. This approach is especially important in cities like Dubai, where urban form and climate conditions present unique challenges to walkability and safety.
- The study, presented in Milan, suggests that street design, in conjunction with signage, significantly influences driver speed compliance, pushing for the development of tools to aid cities in the UAE, particularly in extreme climates, to redesign streets.
- Key strategies highlighted by the study include street geometry adjustments, strategic tree planting, curb alignment changes, and AI-driven predictions in conjunction with design changes, as they affect driver speed compliance.
- The AI model developed by the Senseable City Lab can predict how adjustments in street design, such as curb and tree placements, will affect driver speed compliance before construction begins, providing a proactive approach to improving traffic.
- In high-density areas like Deira, the focus could be on refining pedestrian infrastructure and improving crossing safety, while newer districts in Dubai might require targeted interventions like narrowing lanes, planting more street trees, and breaking up long sightlines.
- The research emphasizes the significance of integrating street design that intuitively slows drivers, moving beyond just enforcing lower speed limits or signage, particularly in cities like Dubai where unique urban form and climate conditions pose challenges to walkability and safety.
