In the U.S. during 1995, there were about 84,000 pedestrian injuries and 5,585 pedestrian fatalities (NHTSA, 1996), for an overall ratio of 15.0 injured pedestrians for every fatality. This ratio varied substantially as a function of posted speed limits, from 57.1 injuries per fatality on roadways with posted limits of 25 miles per hour or less to just 0.3 injuries per fatality for posted speed limits of 60 mph or higher. While posted speeds are not necessarily the same as travel speeds or

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... t speeds, the data clearly suggest a strong relationship between higher vehicle speed and the greater severity of resulting personal injury. Objectives This project had three objectives. First, to reaffirm and quantify the relationship between vehicle speeds and pedestrian crash severities through literature review and data analysis. Second, to describe techniques that have been used for reducing vehicle speeds and review their effectiveness. Third, to synthesize these results into recommendations for countermeasure programs to be tested in this country. Methods American and international literature related to vehicle speeds and crash results and to speed reduction and control strategies was reviewed. Over 600 potentially relevant references were identified. Articles were sought from libraries, authors, and publishers. Sources contacted in the U.S. included the Transportation Research Board (TRB), the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE), the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and researchers and traffic engineering practitioners. Foreign sources included individual authors and research organizations in Canada,