Twenty is Plenty
Monday, April 13th, 2009
For lots of different reasons there is a convergence of interest in reclaiming our city streets so that they are pleasant places to walk, cycle, play and live. Part of the solution is to change the mindset. At present it is regarded as acceptable and legal to drive a car at speed down a street where small children might be playing, cycling or crossing the road. Recent changes in Dept of Transport guidelines mean that 20 mph limits can be set in residential areas without any physical measures at all – which means the cost of the change is small. Growing numbers of cities are doing it, including Portsmouth, Oxford, Norwich, Leicester, and Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Portsmouth City Council has now created 1200 streets with 20 mph limits, and they did it in just nine months without any speed bumps at a cost of £475,000, which is the same as the cost of about two sets of traffic lights. Speeds there have already reduced by an average of 3mph – and every 1mph reduction in average speed brings 5% fewer crashes.
Road traffic in the UK is the single biggest cause of premature deaths for boys and the second biggest cause for girls age 5-15. Every year in Bristol 500 people are killed or seriously injured on the roads. At 20mph a pedestrian knocked over stands a 90% chance of surviving. At 40mph they stand a 90% chance of dying. Susred will be adding its voice to the Twenty is Plenty campaign and will be doing all it can to support street parties and other events which can help change our perception, and our use of shared space.
This article has been filed under News.