Limit speeds and save lives

For a brief moment this year, while the country was in lockdown, we hit a record – zero road deaths recorded over the Easter holiday period.

At Easter last year four deaths and 146 injuries were recorded as a result of crashes.

April 2020 as a whole was the lowest road toll month in the past 55 years, with nine deaths. In contrast, as people returned to the roads in greater numbers, May’s road toll climbed far too quickly to 24.

Having worked in road safety for most of my career it doesn’t surprise me in the least that it took having virtually no-one on the roads to achieve this.

So, what can we do differently?

People simply aren’t designed to withstand impacts with or within heavy fast-moving objects. Managing impact speeds is a key to survivability and is the most cost-effective way to immediately reduce deaths and serious injuries.

That’s why the lowering of speeds in urban areas produces better outcomes. This month both Auckland and Wellington will reduce speeds from 50kmh to 40-30kmh in many central streets in a move designed to save lives.

I’ve spent the better part of my career working in road safety and I can say with absolute confidence that the speed at which a crash happens is a key determinant of the severity of the outcome.

The safest environment for all road users is when operating speeds are compatible with that environment. In a predominantly pedestrian area, speeds need to be matched to the needs of the pedestrian.

We have proof it works. In 2009 the speed limit on Ponsonby Rd in Auckland was changed from 50kmh to 40kmh. The result was a reduction in deaths and serious injury of more than 50 per cent over an eight-year average.

While reducing death and serious injury is the priority, there are other benefits to lowering speed limits. It will, for example, have a significant impact on our environment.

Cars will emit fewer damaging pollutants, especially nitrous oxide and particulate matter output from diesel vehicles at 30kmh when compared to 50kmh. This is generally because traffic flow is smooth at this speed, meaning there will be lower chances of sudden braking and acceleration.

This may seem like a nice-to-have, but lower speeds to reduce carbon emission were introduced in the Netherlands in March and are under consideration in Germany for the same reason.

While people will be resistant to the change, the benefits will far outweigh any perceived inconvenience. The city of Graz in Austria was the first European city to introduce reduced speeds to 30kmh on residential roads, in 1992.

This resulted in a 24 per cent reduction in crashes and a significant increase in walking and cycling. Less quantifiable but equally important was that residents also felt the liveability of the city had been improved.

It was only a few weeks ago that many of us were experiencing an odd joy at the way neighbourhoods were reclaimed by pedestrians and cyclists during lockdown. Lowering speed limits will help urban centres reclaim space for a variety of users, not just cars.