Modeling speed behavior of vehicles in school zones under the impact of motorcycle-dominated societies

This study evaluates the free-flow speed of vehicles passing through the 9 school zones in Pleiku City, Vietnam before and after the establishment of the speed limit. The speed data was collected and analyzed by using an image processing technology. The results show that there is a decrease in the speed of vehicles when passing through the school gate, however, it still remains high. After the establishment of the speed limit of 30 kph at the school zone, the speed is likely reduced but not significantly. Furthermore, Maximum Likelihood Estimation method was used to model the speed behavior in the form of normal distribution. The estimated results show a realistic reflection of the observed speed distribution. The results can be applied in making policies to reduce school traffic accidents and to promote active travel on the school journey in countries such as Vietnam or in other countries with relevant contexts.