Posted on February 11, 2010 by by carol w

The ACT Government has announced today that they will trial a 40 km/h speed limit at one or more shopping centres around Canberra. Media Release

“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.  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.  Consultation

It was announced that 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.

“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.” Media Release

The announcement comes a few days after a 38-year-old female cyclist who was not wearing a helmet was truck by a car and suffered severe head injuries, the woman remains in ICU at The Canberra Hospital. Police report

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