Safe Speed Forums

From the Belfast Telegraph

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/ ... 66878.html

Introducing 20mph speed limits in built-up areas reduces the number of accidents and the severity of injuries, an Irish public health expert said.

Plans to cut the limit in Belfast city centre to 20mph have been published by Stormont's Department for Regional Development.

Studies indicate that children, the elderly older and deprived communities are the most at risk from traffic injuries, according to Teresa Keating from the Institute of Public Health in Ireland.

Ms Keating said: "The environment becomes safer and more appealing for pedestrians and cyclists, with ensuing health benefits of active travel and physical activity."

In Northern Ireland more than 500 20mph zones have been established, many in small communities or housing estates which supported the restriction.

A limit of 30kph (18mph) has been rolled out recently in the Republic of Ireland but Ms Keating said it was too soon to drawn meaningful results.

She said places like Sweden, Germany and the Netherlands had maintained 30kph restrictions for 50 years.

The expert cited an international survey published last month.

"Recent research has shown that reducing speed limits down to 20mph reduces the number of accidents and the severity of injuries.

"In this context, it's worth pointing out that studies indicate that children, older people and those living in deprived communities are most vulnerable to such road traffic injuries."

Ms Keating said that reducing speed limits in built-up areas delivered other benefits.

"Residential streets become safer places for children to engage in active outdoor play and more conducive to community and neighbour interaction.

"Research in 2013 from Edinburgh has shown that the proportion of older primary school children allowed to play unsupervised on the street outside their home rose from 31% to 66% following the introduction of 20mph speed limits."

A study carried out in Bristol in 2012 showed that walking and cycling rates rose by 23% and 20.5% respectively following the introduction of 20mph speed limits.

Ms Keating said introducing lower limits was not without challenges.

"Getting drivers to change their perception about what is an appropriate driving speed is a long-term challenge."


Won't somebody please think of the children...and the cyclists?

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Anyone who tells you that nothing is impossible has never bathed in a saucer of water.

Q - Why are residential streets places for children to play ?. A - Because a lot of parents nowadays can't be bothered to take care of their kids and take them to a park etc, it being easier to let them play in the street. Certainly conducive to community interaction, where certain groupsof kids think it's OK to batter a football up and down the road , running amok through front gardens to get the ball . Results in groups of residents ganging together to form an association to get ball games in street banned and policed. And neighbour interaction in the form of disputes when parents can't see how annoying ball marks on a screen are or how damaging to paintwork a ball with abrasive coating can be.

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lets bring sanity back to speed limits.
Drivers are like donkeys -they respond best to a carrot, not a stick .Road safety experts are like Asses - best kept covered up ,or sat on