Road traffic calming measures have been gradually spreading in cities since the 1960s. Therefore - in line with a sustainable transport planning approach - the revision and redistribution of urban transport and public surfaces have also come into the spotlight. In this context several traffic calming methods and techniques have evolved from point-based to area-wide interventions. Their positive effects on traffic safety and the environment are indisputable. However, there are serious requirements concerning the application of these instruments, which need to be taken into account to prevent or minimize undesirable side-effects. Despite technical aspects and conditions that are well-known from the international literature, strategic aspects (economic effects and system-level prerequisites of traffic calming) are relatively ambiguous. The aim of this paper is to review the possible measures of road traffic calming, to demonstrate the effect-mechanism and to explore the way towards a consistent policy assessment framework, which can provide information on the strategic requirements of application.