How do 50 km/h speed limits reduce crashes?
A small reduction in speed makes a big difference to the chances of a crash occurring and the consequences of the crashes that do occur. The stopping distance at 50km/h is 12-14 metres shorter than at 60km/h, and this translates to reduced impact speeds and better chances that a crash will be avoided altogether. A pedestrian hit by a vehicle travelling at 60km/h has only a 15% chance of survival, whereas at 50km/h the chances of survival are better than 50%.
