Prepared by a group of international experts, members of the International Transport Forum (ITF), an intergovernmental organization that works as a reflection group in the field of transport policy, this new study argues that there is a "strong" relationship between speed and number accidents and casualties, after analyzing road safety issues in 10 countries.
According to the same body, the data obtained reaffirm a scientific formula "used worldwide", according to which, for each 1% increase in average speed, it ends up corresponding to a 2% increase in the number of accidents with injuries, an increase of 3% in the case of serious or fatal accidents, and 4% in the case of fatal accidents.
Given these data, the researchers argue that a reduction in maximum speeds, even if slight, “will greatly reduce the risk”. The new limits would be set depending on the chances of survival at each location, in the event of an accident.
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30 km/h in residential areas, 50 km/h in urban areas
Thus, the authors of the study propose a reduction of the maximum speed to 30 km/h, in residential areas, and to 50 km/h, in other urban areas. On rural roads, however, the speed limit should not go beyond 70 km/h, with researchers not making any recommendations for motorways.
ITF reportAs a way to reduce road trauma caused by the number of casualties and injuries resulting from road accidents, governments must take steps to reduce the speed on our roads, but also the differences between the various speed limits. From an individual perspective, the risk of a serious accident may seem small, but, from the point of view of society, there are substantial gains, in terms of safety, with the reduction of both maximum speeds and the differences between the various limits of speed.
It should be remembered that, in 2014, a Danish study suggested precisely the opposite, that is, increasing speed limits, as a way to reduce the difference between slower and faster drivers, improving road safety.