Page 1183 - Week 04 - Tuesday, 24 March 2009
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injury to pedestrians from cars travelling at 50 kilometres per hour compared to 30 kilometres per hour. It revealed that, while most unprotected road users survived if hit by a car travelling at 30 kilometres per hour, the majority are killed if hit by a car travelling at 50 kilometres per hour. Comparisons of pedestrian and cyclist casualties between countries that do and do not use traffic calming methods and reduced speed limits also demonstrate this.
Initiatives that reduce traffic speed or calm traffic, such as reduced traffic limits, traffic-free zones or shared traffic zones, are elements of what is called “road danger reduction”. This concept has found popularity overseas, especially in Europe. It is an example of an approach to road safety that tries to improve the environment for pedestrians and cyclists by controlling the threats they face—primarily cars. Road danger reduction is also contrary to the common planning approach that tries to avoid problems by physically separating pedestrians from cars, with barriers.
A good example of the application of road danger reduction principles and practice is found in the city of Kingston-upon-Hull in the United Kingdom. Their approach to road safety was the widespread introduction of 30-kilometre-per-hour zones throughout the city, and it has achieved fantastic results in reducing road casualties. Between putting in the first 30-kilometre-per-hour zone in 1994 and 2001, Hull saw a 14 per cent decrease in all road casualties. This compared to a 1.5 per cent increase in surrounding shires. Pedestrian casualties also decreased by 36 per cent, compared to a 17 per cent reduction in Great Britain as a whole.
In conclusion, I am very pleased that the government is going to be examining this important part of the Greens-Labor agreement. Low speed limits in places like shopping and city centres are a common feature of active transport promotion and participation around the world. They also have the capacity to make significant improvements to the safety of all road users. I note that when considering this issue we anticipate that the government will look at all possible road speed zones. As I have mentioned, in other parts of the world they have considered 30-kilometre-per-hour speed zones favourably. I thank the government very much for raising this issue and look forward to the public consultation on it.
MR HARGREAVES (Brindabella—Minister for Disability and Housing, Minister for Ageing, Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Minister for Industrial Relations and Minister for Corrections) (11.54): I would like to make a couple of observation points, if I may. The first one is that the Labor government since 2001 has a fairly reasonable record when it comes to road safety initiatives. I would like to remind the Assembly of a couple of them. It was Mr Bill Wood when he was Minister for Urban Services who introduced the default 50-kilometre-an-hour speed limit in the suburbs. It was, in fact—if my memory serves me correctly—Mr Corbell and I between us who pushed very hard to have the on-road cycle lanes. They, I have to tell you, have been an incredible success. In the first year we had a 17 per cent increase in cyclist traffic on those cycle ways.
We have been putting money into budgets ever since to increase the number of on-road cycle lanes, and it is policy that any new road or any significant new road innovation will have them put in. In fact, I invite members to have a look at the
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