Government to trial 40km/h speed zones around shops

[Buzz Killington]

GOVT TO TRIAL 40KM/H SPEED ZONES AROUND SHOPS


A 40 km/h speed limit will be trialled at one or more busy shopping centres in an effort to make Canberra's streets safer and reduce the risk of road fatalities, Chief Minister and Minister for Transport, Jon Stanhope, said today.

The trial follows the Government's recently completed consultation on the proposal to extend the 40km/h speed limit, which currently applies in school zones, to busy retail centres.

The trial will start in the next financial year at one or more locations, which are still to be determined, where there are a higher number of pedestrians and motorists.

Mr Stanhope said the proposal was in line with the ACT Government's move towards a Vision Zero philosophy - an aspirational target of zero deaths on ACT roads.

"Reducing the speed limit in areas where there is a high number of cars, pedestrians and cyclists makes sense," Mr Stanhope said. "Even a small reduction in a driver's speed can significantly improve the likelihood of a pedestrian or cyclist surviving a crash. The risk of death to a pedestrian or cyclist struck at 60 km/h is greater than 90 per cent compared to 30 per cent at a collision speed of 40 km/h."

Mr Stanhope said just over half or 54 per cent of the 760 respondents to an online survey supported the proposed expansion of 40km/h speed limits and 45 per cent were against. However despite the mixed response, the Government believed the proposal had merit and would proceed with further investigations.

"The Government doesn't intend to introduce a 40 km/h speed limit at every shopping centre in the ACT," Mr Stanhope said. "But we are looking at areas where it is reasonable to expect drivers to slow down because of the high number of pedestrians and cyclists in the area.

"It may be an inconvenience for some divers (sic) to slow down to 40km/h, but any measure that could improve the safety of all road users is a measure worth exploring."

Mr Stanhope said the Government would consult with traders and the community on the preferred sites for the trial before finalising the locations.

He said the trial would be complemented with further studies to identify possible locations for the reduced speed limit, guidelines for its application, and its effectiveness compared to other road safety measures such as traffic lights.