Councils and the Roads and Traffic Authority are installing 40 km/h speed limits because lower vehicle speeds result in fewer pedestrian injuries and deaths.
Travelling at lower speeds improves a driver's ability to stop and avoid crashes. Where crashes do occur they are less severe, especially for children and the elderly.
Consider this situation: A car is travelling at 40 km/h. Another car is travelling at 50 km/h. Both drivers see a child about 27 metres ahead, recognise the danger and brake. The car travelling at 40 km/h will stop safely after 26 metres, avoiding the child. The car travelling at 50 km/h will take an extra 9 metres to stop, and will still be travelling at 41 km/h when it hits the child.
Even a small difference in vehicle speed can make a large difference to the probability of serious injury.
Put simply, if a car hits a pedestrian at 50 km/h the car driver is twice as likely to kill the pedestrian than if the car hits a pedestrian at 40 km/h.
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