Ordinaryspeed

Ordinaryspeed is a term used in several contexts to denote a baseline or typical velocity for an object in a given scenario. In kinematics, ordinaryspeed can refer to the speed of an object relative to a chosen inertial frame when no additional accelerations are present, effectively the object's cruising speed in that frame. In transportation science, ordinaryspeed refers to the cruising speed of vehicles on a road segment under normal driving conditions, as opposed to peak or transient speeds.

In practice, ordinaryspeed is often operationally defined as the modal or median speed among drivers, or as the 50th or 85th percentile speed, depending on the study. It is influenced by speed limits, road geometry, traffic density, weather, and driver behavior.

Measurement methods include fixed-location sensors (loop detectors, radar, LIDAR) and floating car data from GPS. Analysts report ordinaryspeed alongside distributions such as mean and standard deviation, and sometimes separate it by road type or time of day. As a concept, ordinaryspeed is not a universally standardized term and its exact definition can vary by field and study.

History and usage: The term appears in online glossaries and some educational resources as a convenience shorthand for “typical speed,” but it is not part of formal standards. See also speed, velocity, average speed, cruising speed, modal speed.