Madam, – As researchers in traffic medicine and bioengineering involved with formulating traffic policy in Ireland, with the WHO and with the OECD, we write in support of maintaining the 30km/h speed limit in areas of Dublin city centre where it was recently introduced. The whole area has a high density of pedestrian and cyclist traffic, and is frequented by high numbers of tourists (mostly on foot or on bicycle), and older people (who are proportionately most at risk as pedestrians).
There is strong empirical evidence that pedestrian fatality risk in the event of a vehicle impact increases dramatically above impact speeds of about 40km/h: the WHO data shows about a 10 per cent fatality risk for pedestrians when struck at 30km/h, but this rises to about an 80 per cent fatality risk for pedestrians struck at 50km/h.
Safety regulations inevitably involve compromises with mobility/speed/freedom for all road users. However, in this instance, journey times are not greatly affected and significant benefits in both road safety and the experience of our built environment will accrue from this initiative, more than justifying the marginally increased journey times experienced by some motorists. Along with banning heavy trucks from the city centre (trucks are the leading cause of cyclist fatalities in Dublin), and the introduction of the Dublin Bikes scheme, the present initiative greatly improves the inner city environment.
The negative response from some sectors to this positive initiative is familiar from past experience with the introduction of other safety measures, including mandatory safety belts, motorcycle helmets, reduction in alcohol limits and mobile phone usage. In retrospect, these initiatives can be clearly correlated to our dramatic reduction in road fatality rates since the 1970s.
Changes in speed limits should be minimised where possible to avoid confusion.
It would be very disappointing if Dublin City Council now partially pulls back on an initiative that blends modern traffic science with a vision of a city centre in which citizens and tourists can safely and comfortably go about their business as pedestrians and cyclists, while still allowing motor traffic reasonable access and mobility. – Yours, etc,