Lower default speed limits would save lives, road safety researchers say

ABC NEWS (Australia)

A prominent road safety expert is urging the WA government to reduce default speed limits. This year is shaping up to be one of the worst on record for road safety, with 119 deaths across the state so far, 26 more than last year's annual total.

Transcript

00:00It's an idea she knows will be unpopular, but road safety researcher Teresa Senceric

00:07wants the default speed limit lowered from 110 km per hour to 100.

00:13Our biggest killer is speed. The immediate answer is to really reduce our speeds and

00:19enforce them.

00:20The default limit is enforced when there are no signs in place.

00:24Dr Senceric has also signed an open letter to government calling for the default limit

00:29in built up areas to be lowered.

00:31Across Europe those speeds are going down to 30 km and we're asking government can

00:37you at least bring them down to 40 to start with.

00:41The push for changes will be on the table at a road safety summit being held next month

00:45in response to a horrific year on the state's roads.

00:49We're happy to consider all options and make sure that we have evidence and make sure that

00:54things are practical and enforceable.

00:56Opposition road safety spokesperson Martin Aldridge is pushing for the government to

01:00get rid of the need for default limits by prioritising assessing unrated regional roads.

01:07He'd also like to see a police crackdown on poor behaviour.

01:10Regional road safety advocates agree with the emphasis on driver behaviour.

01:14The nut behind the wheel makes the decisions and the rest of it is about outcomes. So speed

01:21obviously will determine an outcome. Once you lose control, physics take over.

01:27And to encourage the nut behind the wheel to make good decisions, new cameras designed

01:31to target mobile phone use and seatbelts as well as speed are about to be rolled out.

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