KILLING OUR SPEED!

The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine study which suggests that 20mph zones in residential areas on London save lives and reduce the children killed or injured in road accidents and has called for the expansion of the Home Zone scheme to residential areas across Wales.

This study by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine estimates that 20mph zones have the potential to prevent up to 700 casualties in London alone. The study estimates that at 20 mph only one in 40 pedestrians is killed in a crash, which compares with a one in five chance for someone hit at 30mph.

The British Medical Journal noted that 20 mph zones in parts of London, have with reduced speed limits have reduced number of children killed or seriously injured has been halved over the past 15 years and cut road injuries by 40% in London. We need to revisit the Dutch idea of Home Zones – which attempt to strike a balance between road traffic and everyone else who uses the street.

Now there are those who have dismissed calls for lower speed limits as attempts to merely raise revenue or boost Police funds, but, try telling that to someone who has lost a child or seen their loved ones hurt in an accident where excessive speed played a part or telling that to any Police officer who has had to attend a road traffic accident that involves a child. At 20mph, it is estimated only one in 40 pedestrians is killed in a crash, this compares with a one in five chance for someone hit at 30mph.

If we are serious about road safety and reducing accidents then we need to serious consider developing 20mph zones around our schools and expanding them to include the streets that are around our schools, especially those streets that are residential in nature, as this will save lives and protect our children and pedestrians.