Aussie drivers explode over city's speed limit plan: 'Absolute madness'
Drivers in one major Aussie city could be forced to slow right down on roads.
Every street in one major Aussie city could soon have a 30km/h speed limit if a council proposal is passed and it's fair to say the backlash has been swift and intense, with one councillor calling it "absolute madness".
An investigation into the current speed limits on Adelaide's city roads and their subsequent safety implications have been in review for over two years now, and on Tuesday, three changes were presented to councillors — road users could be subjected to a blanket 30 km/h limit for the entire city, 40 km/h for the majority of roads, or a combination of the two with major arterial roads remaining at 50km/h.
Adelaide City councillor Henry Davis said the mere suggestion of lowering all road speed limits to 30km/h is a waste of time and condemned the proposal.
"To my mind this is absolute madness, you would shut down the city if that was the case," he told FIVEAA radio on Wednesday morning. "It’s madness … I don’t even know why we were sitting in a council meeting for about an hour and a half considering this as a viable option."
🤳 Aussie authorities quietly admit to flaws with roadside phone detection cameras
🤨 Mercedes driver fined $544 for ignorant act after Gumtree purchase
Davis explained the idea of the proposed citywide 30 km/h speed limit is to deter motorists from going into the city and instead "riding in" to reduce emissions, however, he argued the slower pace of traffic could result in the opposite.
"We want to encourage people to ride bikes but they want to do that by making it near impossible to park and come into the city," he said. "A good number of councillors are actually entertaining this idea... it should be rejected immediately," he said.
Lord Mayor warns drivers 'not to get their knickers in a twist'
After the backlash, Adelaide Lord Mayor Jane Lomax-Smith urged drivers and those in the city "not to get their knickers in a twist" as the citywide 30km/h speed limit is only at the proposal stage.
"There is a nuance about speed limits," she said. "On one side... you go to the road accident research people they will tell you if you're hit as a pedestrian at 50km/h, you've got a 90 per cent chance of dying, whereas if you're hit a 30km/h you've got a 10 per cent chance of dying... the other side of the argument is people’s convenience and how easy it is to get around... this is a longstanding discussion."
She explained there is a "long way to go" before the council makes a decision. At the moment Adelaide has a range of speed limits.
Australia's massive problem with road deaths
Australia is in the middle of a crisis with soaring rates of preventable deaths on our roads — with governments aiming to halve road deaths by 2030 after signing the National Road Safety Standards Agreement in 2021.
Three years later, there has been an increase in the national road toll of 17.4 per cent — despite recent statistics showing that deaths have fallen in South Australia.
In the year to September 2024, 1288 people died on Australian roads, and no state or territory is on track to meet targets. The timing of the report was critical, NRMA spokesman Peter Khoury said. "The road toll is clearly a tragedy. It's higher than last year and last year was a terrible year," he said.
Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
