What results did the speed limit bring?
Paris has recently limited the speed of traffic on the roads to 30 kilometers per hour. Such a solution should reduce the amount of emissions and improve the environmental situation, as well as improve safety, reports with reference to.
This experiment was also introduced earlier in a number of other European cities. What results has it brought and should Ukraine follow the example and introduce speed limits on the roads?
Why speeding is a serious problem
Speeding on roads is one of the most common causes of road accidents. So, from January 1 to August 31, 2021, 120,209 accidents happened in Ukraine , in which 1,914 people died, and 19,309 were injured.
49 690 accidents occurred due to violation of the rules of maneuvering, but 28 155 — due to speeding . In these accidents, 957 people died and 7,640 people were injured.
Konstantin Usov, deputy chairman of the Kiev city state administration, wrote in his blog on Ukrainskaya Pravda about the study of the British. They found that moving no more than 20 miles per hour (about 32 kilometers per hour) saves 4 lives per year.
This restriction was resorted to in a number of European cities. In particular, it operates on central streets and near the most crowded metro stations:
- The authorities in Brussels (Belgium) introduced this experiment in one area. As a result, the number of accidents on the roads has decreased there by 40%.
- In Berlin (Germany), the authorities did this to prevent traffic collapse, reduce air pollution and noise levels. Finally, a 30% reduction in harmful emissions was recorded.
- In Oslo, Norway, speed limits of up to 30 kilometers per hour began to be introduced in 2015, and already in 2019, according to a report by the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, the number of road traffic fatalities in Oslo dropped to one.
- In Gdansk (Poland), a decrease in the number of fatalities in road accidents was recorded by 2.5 times after the introduction of a regime of 30 kilometers per hour.
Almost everywhere, restrictions were introduced gradually or experimentally, and no one got a bad case. The drivers did not immediately accept the new rules, and in the beginning there were many complaints. They got used to it hard and slowly. But then they discovered that faster driving in the city does not give a noticeable saving in time — the trip time is reduced by only 7 seconds per kilometer. More important than speed is the continuity of traffic and smart switching of traffic lights,
— noted Usov.
Does Ukraine need to limit speed on the roads
Urbanists in the world claim that 30 kilometers per hour is the most acceptable and safe speed, at which the minimum probability of being injured in an accident.
The chairman of the U-Cycle organization, Bogdan Lepyavko , says that all cities in the world are gradually moving towards a decrease in speed. According to the World Health Organization, this factor is the root cause of road traffic accidents with severe and fatal outcomes. In Ukraine, the police data also confirm this.
This is truly the most effective way to reduce deaths and injuries. Ukraine certainly needs to learn from this experience. The current 50 (and in fact 69, because we have +19 «not fined») on many streets are frankly redundant and superfluous. The average speed of a car in Kiev is less than 30 kilometers per hour, and some «high-speed» sections only lead to the accumulation of traffic, while significantly increasing the danger,
— noted Lepyavko.
He added that it is imperative to move in this direction. But it is worth remembering that this is mainly happening gradually — in the same Paris, on many streets, such a restriction existed before. According to the expert, it is worth identifying areas with a reduced speed of movement and gradually extending this practice to most of the city. In parallel, it is necessary to introduce measures to comply with these standards, and, if necessary, equip physical means to prevent violations.
Alexander Kudryavtsev , manager of JSB «Alexandra Kudryavtseva», says that according to the WHO, the probability of survival of pedestrians in the event of an accident with a vehicle that moves at a speed of 30 kilometers per hour is 90% , and at a speed of 50 kilometers per hour — 10% … Therefore, the expert believes that Ukraine should also adopt this experience, but it should be done gradually.
In particular, the speed reduction to 30 kilometers per hour should first be introduced for a limited number of streets and the experiment should be started from the capital, where there is dense pedestrian traffic in the city center and a high level of movement of scooters, bicycles, and the like. And further extend this experience to other streets. At the same time, avenues, highways, the ring road and other large streets should not fall under the restrictions,
— emphasized Kudryavtsev.
He clarified that the advantage of such a solution could be a decrease in the number of accidents with fatalities. At the same time, when introducing such restrictions, the opposite effect should be avoided. Indeed, at such a low speed, the driver can constantly monitor the speedometer so as not to exceed the permissible threshold, and not the situation on the road.
In addition, according to the expert, such an innovation can hit the pocket of drivers , because «to maintain a speed of 30 kilometers per hour, you need to constantly drive in second or third gear, and with such a ride, fuel consumption is greater.»