The falling trend in the road toll from the early nineties to the beginning of this year is now at an end. The figures for the first half of this year are higher than for the same time last year. Any self-congratulation about better and more temperate driving appears to be misplaced. It may be that the falling toll had more to do with lower road usage because of the recession; better medical treatment; tougher police action and better cars and roads than better driving.
There are no easy solutions. The aim of reducing the road toll has to be fought on many fronts. Changing driver behaviour is, of course, the most significant way to prevent road trauma. That can be done through both education and force.
This week the NRMA called for a reduction in the speed limit in residential areas from 60km/h to 50km/h. It said a survey in the ACT and NSW showed that about three-quarters of motorists agreed, provided it did not affect arterial roads in the city. The manager of traffic engineering for the NRMA, Andrew Macky, said. “It reinforces the position the NRMA has long held: that speed limits should be more flexible and set according to local conditions.”
Sensible drivers know that and do not need a speed limit to tell them. If all drivers drove to the conditions there would not be any need for speed limits. Unfortunately, a small proportion of drivers do not and have to be forced to drive at reasonable speeds on the pain of a fine or licence loss. Even with the speed limits they drive right on the limit irrespective of traffic, fog, rain, children, damaged surfaces and so on. But at least the limits give some hope of controlling their behaviour some of the time.
The NRMA’s proposal has a lot of merit. Traffic flow would not be impeded if arterial roads were excluded. It points out that upon emergency braking a car travelling at 60km/h would still be doing 44km/h at the same time a car doing 50km/h would have stopped _ a critical difference in a residential area. The proposal would also cut noise in suburbs.
The Minister for Urban Services, Tony De Domenico, says the ACT would not go it alone, but wait for a national approach on the question that will be considered next year. He appears to have utterly missed the obvious logic of the NRMA’s position: speed limits should be set according to local conditions.
In the ACT, where roads are good an encourage inappropriate speed in the suburbs, the limit should be cut to 50km/h where the road is not divided and there are houses or community facilities on both sides of the street.