With speed a contributing factor in 27 percent of all fatal crashes, communities will find it very challenging to reduce traffic fatalities and severe injuries without managing speed for safety. Managing speed is so central to saving lives and eliminating severe crashes that Safe Speed is a core tenet of Vision Zero.
While there is no one-size-fits-all approach to speed management, there is a trifecta of strategies involving street design, lower speed limits and automated speed enforcement that have been proven to work in communities.
Boston, Seattle, Portland and New York City have all worked to lower speed limits in the past few years to advance Vision Zero with encouraging results. A recent study of Boston’s reduced speed limit showed that lowering the speed at which vehicles travel does in fact result in less speeding. Boston saw the greatest decline — a 29.3% reduction — in the odds of speeding for vehicles traveling faster than 35 mph. This is notable because it is at these higher speeds that crashes are most dangerous, especially for those walking.
As part of the November 2018 Vision Zero Cities Conference hosted by Transportation Alternatives in NYC, the Vision Zero Network and Institute of Transportation Engineers is co-hosting a workshop Thursday, November 8 from 8:30am – 12pm titled: Managing Speed for Safety: A Workshop to Advance Vision Zero in Local Communities. Leading experts and practitioners in this interactive workshop will share the latest in proven speed management strategies at both the national and local levels. Topics will include:
• how speed management efforts fit into Vision Zero’s Safe Systems approach;
• recent success stories from cities pursuing new speed management strategies;
• how redesigning streets, using camera technology and by setting appropriate speed limits are key to Vision Zero.
We encourage participation from diverse stakeholders in the Vision Zero realm, including transportation planners and engineers, policymakers, public health professionals, law enforcement officers, and community advocates. If interested in participating in the workshop, registration is strongly encouraged soon as space is limited.
To register, visit http://transalt.org/vzccday2
Also, save the date for two upcoming Vision Zero Network webinars on Safe Systems and Speed:
October 30, 2018 Safe Systems – What Does it Mean for Vision Zero? Part 2 (postponed)
Join the Vision Zero Network and the Collaborative Sciences Center for Road Safety for the second part in a series focused on how the Safe Systems approach underpins effective Vision Zero commitments. You can learn more about Part 1 here.
November 14, 2018 Lowering Speed Limits to Manage Speeds: Experiences in U.S. Cities
Join the Vision Zero Network and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) to learn about recent studies showing effective speed management strategies in U.S. cities. You can learn more about IIHS’ research here.
Check our Webinars page for additional details and links to register.