Reducing speed limits to 30km/h on residential roads would save lives and prevent serious injuries, an Adelaide University cycling expert says.
Dr Jennifer Bonham has called for speed cuts on residential roads to improve cyclist safety. Dr Bonham heads up a cycling safety study which includes looking at the success of cycling safety programs around the world.
“In places like the Netherlands you can’t do more than 30km/h in residential areas because they regard this as the safest speed,” she said, “and they have been doing this for 40 years. I think we should try 40km/h and if at some future point — especially as we get more intense (housing) development in suburban areas — we may want to travel at no more than 30km/h.”
“I think we should try 40km/h and if at some future point — especially as we get more intense (housing) development in suburban areas — we may want to travel at no more than 30km/h.’’
Dr Bonham said there was initial opposition to the 10km/h speed limit reduction on suburban roads in 2003 but the 50km/h limit had now been accepted.
“So we get used to 40km/h and then start thinking about if we need to move to further reductions,’’ she said.
