SPEED
Traffic crashes are the leading cause of non-natural deaths worldwide.
The faster a vehicle is going, the more likely a crash is to result in costly porperty damage, serious injuries, or even fatalities!
A person hit by a vehicle travelling at 40 MPH only has a 10% chance of survival. But is that vehicle were only traveling at 20 MPH, that person has a 90% chance of survival!
SAFE NEIGHBORHOOD STREETS
Residential streets should be safe and comfortable for the families that live on or near these streets and the children that play or walk to school nearby.
One Vision Zero interdiction is to reduce the speeds on residential streets from 30 MPH to 25 MPH. Not only are the risks of being involved in a traffic crash lowered, but to risk of serious or fatal injuries are also greatly reduced.
The 85th Percentile
Ever wonder how speed limits are set? Streets and roads are designed for certain operational speeds, but some drivers still like to go faster. As such, Traffic Engineers will use what is known as the 85th Percentile to set “appropriate” traffic speeds.
Engineers will study traffic speeds on a roadway, and then based on the speed at which 85% of those drivers were traveling, can raise the speed limit to that new, higher speed.
COMPREHENSIVE SPEED MANAGEMENT
In contrast to the 85th Percentile approach, Speed Management programs are focused on improving safety and enhancing livability through context-appropriate speed reduction strategies.
These programs may use any number of proven Vision Zero interdictions to reduce speeding in order to prevent serious injury and fatal crashes.
Despite what some would have us believe, faster is NOT safer.
SlowYourRoll.org is a project of Farm&City – a 501c3 nonprofit dedicated to high quality urban and rural human habitat in Texas in perpetuity, and Central Texas Families for Safe Streets – an all volunteer coalition of victims and family members of victims of traffic violence, seeking to change the world so that other families do not have to suffer as they have.
Please contact info@farmandcity.org with any questions.