1. Planning and
Transport Research PATREC
Centre
Engineers Australia Seminar – 16 November 2009
TARGETING THE SPEED LIMITS
Is there a case for lowering speed limits?
Professor Greg Martin PSM
Executive Director
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2. Planning and
Transport Research PATREC
Centre
A Rationale
• National policy drivers
• ‘Safe System’ approach
• Development of practice
• The responsible custodian
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3. Planning and
Transport Research PATREC
Centre
National Policy Drivers
• Population – growth, congestion
• Productivity – network use, traffic
management
• Resource efficiency – user pays
• Safety – speed management
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4. Planning and
Transport Research PATREC
Centre
The Big Picture
• Technical practice view
– Engineering, education and enforcement
• ‘Safe System’ view
– Vehicle, speed , environment
• Public policy view
– Access rights, public safety, responsible
custodian
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5. Planning and
Transport Research PATREC
Centre
An Influence Strategy
• Information – availability, educative
• Engagement – interactive, monitor
perceptions
• Knowledge – build understanding of
personal and community impacts
• Culture – attitudes, community
standards, acceptability of crashes
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6. Planning and
Transport Research PATREC
Centre
Who is the custodian?
• Road authorities are the custodians of the
system – own the asset, manage its use
• Need to condition drivers and the community
with;
– Rationale of ‘speed management’
– Road environment, infrastructure, road sides
– Population perspective on errant behaviour
– Enforcement to reinforce community standards
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7. Planning and
Transport Research PATREC
Centre
My Answers
• Yes, but only if no responsible alternative
• Efficient traffic flow is a legitimate
expectation - in the big picture!
• Yes – we are capturing this knowledge –
issue is how to share it ‘outside the club’!
• It must be the community insisting on a
safer future!
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8. Planning and
Transport Research PATREC
Centre
Acknowledgements
• The Speed Management Challenge,
Position Paper for Australian Transport
Ministers, November 2009
• I Johnston, Reducing injury from speed
related road crashes, Guest Editorial,
Injury Prevention 2004
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