Citation

Van den dool D, Tranter P, Boss A. J. Australas. Coll. Road Saf. 2017; 28(3): 55-63.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, Australasian College of Road Safety)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Neighbourhood streets play a vital role in making places liveable. Rather than seeing them as simply transport corridors for cars, they are important places for walking, cycling, social interactions and even playful exploration by local children. This paper argues that neighbourhood streets provide a valuable focus for a road safety intervention that is low cost and yet promises considerable benefits for road safety, neighbourhood amenity, public health and the community at large. While there is likely to be opposition to the introduction of lower speed limits in local neighbourhood streets, this paper provides evidence that such opposition is not justified. Lower speed limits in residential streets provide an important new strategy for achieving continued reductions in injury rates from road crashes in Australia. Current trials of 30km/h traffic calmed Bicycle Boulevards in Perth are already showing early signs of general community support, while such trials in Adelaide and Melbourne are imminent.

Key Findings

• 30 km/h speed limits on local residential streets have the potential to reduce the Australian national road toll by 13% or $3.5 Billion every year.

• For example, the WA Safe Active Streets program receives bilateral political support from successive governments.

• Community fears about impacts on travel time are a political reality but technically unfounded.

• Safe-Street Neighbourhoods require strong leadership - political champions and well-trained street designers.

• The Federal Blackspot program can be readily extended to accommodate Safe Active Street and Safe-Street Neighbourhood initiatives.

Keywords: 30 km/h speed limits, neighbourhood amenity, road safety champions.

Language: en

Keywords

Australia; Injuries; Injury rates; Injury severity; Public opinion; Safe systems (road users); Speed limit; Speed limits; Statistics; Traffic control; Safe systems (roads); Traffic calming; Injury rate; Local area traffic management; Residential areas; Residential area