Traffic calming - an assessment of selected on-road chicane schemes

Various types of horizontal deflections have been used in traffic calming to reduce the speed of traffic. The results in terms of effectiveness and public acceptability have not always been successful. Chicane trials on the TRL test track (1994), confirmed the potential of chicanes as traffic calming measures and established relationships between mean speed and chicane dimensions. Further work was commissioned by the Driver Information and Traffic Management (DITM) Division of the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR) to study chicane installations on the public roads. This report describes a variety of on-road chicane schemes in terms of design and location, speed reduction and accident reduction. The speed reductions at these schemes were compared with those from the TRL trials and relationships between mean speed and 'path angle' have been developed. Local authority experience was used in compiling advice and raising issues relating to good and bad practice in the design and installation of chicanes. (A)