The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is supporting the global campaign to limit speeds at 30 km/h in urban areas. The said campaign dubbed Streets for Life was launched during the 6th UN Global Road Safety Week.
Less car speed is seen to make roads safer
The Streets for Life campaign is calling on policy-makers to set the vehicle’s speed limit to 30 km/h on streets where there are a high number of pedestrians and cyclists. The World Health Organization (WHO) said that low-speed streets in urban areas will make cities safer, healthy, more environmentally friendly, and liveable.
“We need a new vision for creating safe, healthy, green, and liveable cities. Low-speed streets are an important part of that vision. As we recover and rebuild from COVID-19, let’s make safer roads for a safer world,” said WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
The WHO stated that more than 1.3 million people die in road traffic crashes every year, which is one person every 24 seconds. WHO claims that excessive speed is one of the main factors contributing to the road traffic injury problem. The organization added that 40 to 50 percent of individuals drive above the speed limit, with every 1 km/h increase in speed resulting in a 4 to 5 percent increase in fatal crashes.
Streets for Life campaign is calling for a 30 km/h speed limit
“We want low speeds, we want liveable streets, and communities where we can walk safely, where our children can get to school unharmed. We call for 30 km/h speed limits,” said Global Ambassador for the Child Health Initiative Zoleka Mandela.
WHO shared that the 30 km/h speed limit is already being implemented in several cities worldwide. This includes Brussels, Paris, and cities across Spain. The said speed limit is also being put in place in Bogota in Colombia, Accra in Ghana, and Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam.
“I call on authorities to reduce urban speed limits to 30 km/h where pedestrians and cyclists mix with other traffic, as a step towards giving streets back to people and ensuring those streets are protective of health and the environment. Low-speed streets are streets for life,” notes WHO Director of the Department of Social Determinants of Health Dr. Etienne Krug.
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