Friday, May 23, 2008

New 20mph Urban Speed Limit

In 2007 UK streets took their toll of more than 3,000 human lives, including passengers, cyclists and pedestrians. Thus, the government was harshly confronted once again for not implementing a solid strategy to reduce those pointless deaths. And so, the government’s response came thunderous this time with plans, not only to reduce the speed limit to 20mph but also measures like lower drink-drive limit, six penalty points for serious speed limit breaches and harsher on seat-belt policy.

The strategy’s ultimate goal is to eventually reduce the number of fatalities from 3,000 down to 2,000 by 2020. Ambitious as it may be, at least there is a clear-cut target to be reached; implementation of new techniques such as digital road signs signifying allowed speed to drivers when closing up to schools and cameras detecting a vehicle’s average speed instead of road humps was therefore judged as compulsory for bringing results.

The fact is that research from the Department for Transport proves that 1 in 40 pedestrian car accidents at 20mph will result into mortality, whereas it is actually 1 in 5 at speeds of 30mph. On 40mph the survival rate plunges to a sad 10% chance.

So, on one hand it’s the annoying 20mph limit for residential roads and harsher penalties for alcohol consumption and seat belt issues, but on the other hand there are less speed humps and more integrity.

But come on, if 1mph in a vehicle’s average speed reduces the mortality rate by around 5% doesn’t a fellow human’s life worth a few more minute of your time?

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