Effects of Time Pressure on Nudges Using Speed Limit Signs

Abstract

A substantial body of research has demonstrated that regulating vehicle speed in traffic can lead to a reduction in the incidence of accidents and the risk of fatal injury in the event of a collision. In the context of public roads, the primary mechanism for enforcing speed limits is the presence of speed limit signs. The present study concentrated on two types of nudges that encourage speed reduction. One such strategy involves the implementation of a nudge technique, which is designed to induce the left-digit effect. In this method, the posted speed limit is displayed as 89 km/h instead of 90 km/h, with the expectation that drivers will significantly reduce their speed. The second type of nudge is intended to induce the anchoring effect, such as displaying the speed limit as 0 to 90 km/h instead of 90 km/h. The findings indicated that the left-digit effect induced by speed limit signs remained robust under time pressure, whereas the anchoring effect disappeared. The findings indicate that when implementing speed limit signs as nudges, it is imperative to consider their effectiveness in relation to time pressure.