New South Wales study indicates lower speed zones reduce deaths

A new study into 40km/h speed zones in New South Wales, Australia indicates they are reducing deaths and injuries in high pedestrian and traffic areas.
July 4, 2017 Read time: 2 mins

A new study into 40km/h speed zones in New South Wales, Australia indicates they are reducing deaths and injuries in high pedestrian and traffic areas.

The study, by the Centre for Road Safety, found there was a 33 per cent reduction in crashes causing serious injuries and deaths between 2005 and 2015, where 40 km/h zones had been introduced.

Crash data shows that over 6,300 people were injured or killed on local streets each year and that many of these crashes involve excessive or inappropriate speeds.

In permanent 40 km/h speed limits locations, the number of people killed went down from 12 in 2005 to one in 2015. The number of people seriously injured also dropped from 269 in 2005 to 203 in 2015.

The evaluation looked at locations from the High Pedestrian Activity Areas Program that combines 40km/h speed zones with pedestrian infrastructure like raised crossings and other traffic calming features.

Roads, Maritime and Freight Minister Melinda Pavey said the results show the 40 km/h speed zones help save lives and prevent devastating injuries.

“We are now looking to expand the rollout of these reduced speed zones around the state. The Centre for Road Safety will work with 6722 Roads and Maritime Services, focusing on locations with high pedestrian activity, especially around train stations, bus interchanges and shopping centres,” she said.

Urban Traffic Control

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • CRASH aids crash reduction
    August 6, 2014
    Announcing a decrease in traffic fatalities in Tennessee, US, earlier this year, the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security indicated preliminary figures of 988 traffic fatalities in 2013, a 2.7 per cent decrease compared to 2012, when there were 1,015 traffic fatalities. At the same time, Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) Colonel Tracy Trott said: “In 2014, we will employ a predictive analytics model to look even more closely at where traffic crashes are most likely to occur and deploy our res
    Read More
  • Data exploits parking potential
    March 11, 2015
    David Crawford parallel parks with innovations in two continents. Surveys of US cities indicate that drivers searching for parking can account for up to 37% of all urban traffic congestion. A 2011 study by IBM of 20 cities around the world found that nearly six out of ten drivers had abandoned their search for a parking space at least once; while motorists generally spent on average 20 minutes looking for a sought-after spot.
    Read More
  • European progress on road deaths 'disappointing', says ETSC
    June 18, 2020
    Safety body suggests that the EU will miss its target of halving fatalities by 2020
    Read More
  • The inside story of how traffic chaos was avoided after I-95 collapse
    August 23, 2023
    June’s collapse of major US roadway I-95 in Pennsylvania could have caused lengthy traffic chaos. But - relatively speaking at least - it didn’t and gridlock was avoided. Alan Dron finds out why
    Read More

Highlighted Content