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#1
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No safety benefit in reducing CBD speed limit to 40km/h
Or so says RACV's Ken Ogden.
http://www.theage.com.au/news/nation...166455609.html "Under $5 million set aside by the council, other proposals included setting the CBD speed limit at 40 km/h; investigating priority bus lanes for Lonsdale and Queen streets; and lobbying for tram stops at every CBD intersection. .... RACV policy officer Ken Ogden said there was little in the strategy to please car users and there was no safety benefit in reducing the city speed limit from 50 to 40 km/h." I think 40km/h in the CBD sounds good. It would certainly help cyclists. In my experience, traffic doesn't move much faster than 40km/h in the CBD anyway. Those car that do are hoons, shortly to be stopped at the next traffic light. |
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#2
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No safety benefit in reducing CBD speed limit to 40km/h
On 2006-07-19, Russell Lang (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea: Or so says RACV's Ken Ogden. http://www.theage.com.au/news/nation...166455609.html Pity the clueless fsckwit has so much influence. -- TimC Some of us here are sysadmins, and network admins, and even Windows admins. Clubbing baby harp seals would a socially acceptable step *up*. -- butting on ARK |
#3
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No safety benefit in reducing CBD speed limit to 40km/h
On 2006-07-19, TimC wrote:
On 2006-07-19, Russell Lang (aka Bruce) was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea: Or so says RACV's Ken Ogden. http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/ council-proposes-underground-train-line/2006/07/19/1153166455609.html Pity the clueless fsckwit has so much influence. That's one more good reason for me to skew the data towards getting rid of the damn car. -- My Usenet From: address now expires after two weeks. If you email me, and the mail bounces, try changing the bit before the "@" to "usenet". |
#4
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No safety benefit in reducing CBD speed limit to 40km/h
TimC wrote: On 2006-07-19, Russell Lang (aka Bruce) was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea: Or so says RACV's Ken Ogden. http://www.theage.com.au/news/nation...166455609.html Pity the clueless fsckwit has so much influence. Maybe, but before we jump on him its worth considering whether there may be any truth to his claims. Personally I think once you get down to these kinds of speeds, the greatest risks are from SMIDSYs from inattentive and aggressive drivers. Slowing drivers down 10km/h isn't going to make them more attentive and less aggressive, and may actually be counterproductive in some ways. .... or maybe it would have the desired effect. The point being that I don't think lowering speed limits always and everywhere is the answer to road safety. The gains picked up in lowering the speed limit from 50 to 40 may be offset by losses caused by the greater frustration of having to roll along at annoyingly low speeds. Travis |
#5
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No safety benefit in reducing CBD speed limit to 40km/h
Pity it's not so easy to legislate for all motorists to "Pay attention" while driving. Seems that the speed limits are dropping to the extent to where general driver reactions when distracted can keep up with what's happening out on the roads.... -- Marx SS |
#6
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No safety benefit in reducing CBD speed limit to 40km/h
Marx SS Wrote: Pity it's not so easy to legislate for all motorists to "Pay attention" while driving. Seems that the speed limits are dropping to the extent to where general driver reactions when distracted can keep up with what's happening out on the roads.... You'd hope so, but adjusted risk compensation comes into it. Take a look at the behaviour of drivers (as well as pedestrians and cyclists) in current 40kph zones. Once you get down to that sort of speed, you start seeing a lot more unusual actions from road users that seem to indicate that they don't really consider it a "traffic" area. That behaviour tends to be more erratic and unpredictable than on roads where traffic flows faster. Some people might applaud the breakdown in boundaries between footpath and road, but when it involves some road users blithely wandering in front of other road users (in all combinations!) I find it hard to believe that it provides more safety for anyone. -- Resound |
#7
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No safety benefit in reducing CBD speed limit to 40km/h
Resound Wrote: You'd hope so, but adjusted risk compensation comes into it. Take a look at the behaviour of drivers (as well as pedestrians and cyclists) in current 40kph zones. Once you get down to that sort of speed, you start seeing a lot more unusual actions from road users that seem to indicate that they don't really consider it a "traffic" area. That behaviour tends to be more erratic and unpredictable than on roads where traffic flows faster. Some people might applaud the breakdown in boundaries between footpath and road, but when it involves some road users blithely wandering in front of other road users (in all combinations!) I find it hard to believe that it provides more safety for anyone. Whups...I missed a crucial point. This is only referring to the CBD. 40kph would be fair and reasonable along most roads in the CBD grid. -- Resound |
#8
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No safety benefit in reducing CBD speed limit to 40km/h
Resound Wrote: Whups...I missed a crucial point. This is only referring to the CBD. 40kph would be fair and reasonable along most roads in the CBD grid. Agreed. Pedestrian and vehicular traffic is already "erratic and unpredictable" in the Melbourne CBD. Current 40km/h zones (generally around schools) also have erratic drivers and pedestrians. I don't think that changed much on the road I used when the speed dropped from 50km/h. Pulling out without looking, stopping in a no standing zone, stopping such that it blocks the view of the lollypop man. This is the school crossing where one car hit the lollypop man and broke his leg. I think the mentally is "I need to keep my child safe, and it doesn't matter about anyone else". The school kids walking near the school were far more predictable than the car drivers. -- ghostgum |
#9
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No safety benefit in reducing CBD speed limit to 40km/h
ghostgum wrote: Resound Wrote: Whups...I missed a crucial point. This is only referring to the CBD. 40kph would be fair and reasonable along most roads in the CBD grid. Agreed. Pedestrian and vehicular traffic is already "erratic and unpredictable" in the Melbourne CBD. Current 40km/h zones (generally around schools) also have erratic drivers and pedestrians. I don't think that changed much on the road I used when the speed dropped from 50km/h. Pulling out without looking, stopping in a no standing zone, stopping such that it blocks the view of the lollypop man. This is the school crossing where one car hit the lollypop man and broke his leg. I think the mentally is "I need to keep my child safe, and it doesn't matter about anyone else". The school kids walking near the school were far more predictable than the car drivers. Sorry to offer such an unsophisticated explanation, but consider city traffic for a moment. How often does it travel at 40km/hr? Not much. I expect the average speed for a car through the CBD would be less than 20km/hr. Lowering the speed limit here has no actual effect on the driver behaviour. Let's see if mandatory public flogging of motorists who hit pedestrians on crossings, and cyclists has any effect. I've been working out at the gym, and I'm reckon I can flog for about 20 minutes at full belt. Bring them on. -- ghostgum |
#10
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No safety benefit in reducing CBD speed limit to 40km/h
On 20 Jul 2006 03:26:51 -0700, "AndrewJ" wrote:
Lowering the speed limit here has no actual effect on the driver behaviour. I've noticed that I don't have to slow down for corners (driving) at 40 whereas I do at 50. Not a good change in driver behaviour. I chose to slow down anyway, but its an added temptation. I don't react well to traffic calming chicanes either. I don't like how they distract from monitoring the verge. And I hate how they destroy roads with plenty of riding room. |
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