How far do speedlimits need to be reduced to protect pedestrians?

[Silver Ghia]

This article in todays Herald Sun on the second page:

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/mor...-1226234455223

More elderly pedestrians lose their lives on our roads by: Amelia Harris

SPEED limits could be reduced after an increase in the number of pedestrian fatalities, the TAC says.
Fifty pedestrians were killed in 2011, almost a third more than in 2010.

Elderly pedestrian deaths represented a worrying trend and the biggest increase by age group (86 per cent), with 13 people older than 80 killed.

Police said pedestrians were at fault in most cases.

In 2011, 288 people were killed on Victorian roads, equalling 2010's record low.

Deaths deemed intentional, or due to natural causes such as heart attack, might be removed from the total when the road fatality review board meets later this month.

If deaths are taken off the 2011 provisional toll, it will be the first time a record low has been achieved four years' running.

TAC spokesman John Thompson said while mobile phones and iPods continued to distract drivers, the speed limit also contributed to the toll.

"We have seen reductions around schools and around high activity zones, maybe that's another solution," he said.

"It's not Victoria Police's role to provide common sense to people when you're crossing the road, to say, 'Don't look at your mobile phone, make sure you can hear the road'.

"It's probably not a campaign's job to do that either, so maybe we have to look at the speed limit setting of our roads."


Deputy Commissioner for road policing Kieran Walshe predicted more campaigns would be directed at pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists.

"A lot of people would probably (say) that it's an unnecessary use of police resources but when you see (the number of pedestrians who die and are injured) we've got to really focus on that," he said.

The provisional 2011 results show:

THERE were 288 deaths.

DEATHS in Melbourne increased slightly, up 4 per cent to 131. Fatalities in regional Victoria fell slightly, down 3 per cent to 157.

MEN represented 74 per cent of people killed;

MOTORCYCLIST deaths fell by one to 48.

Mr Walshe said it was a relief last year's toll finished similar to 2010 after 51 died in October and November.

"But it doesn't matter what the toll number is, 288 is just far, far too many people," Mr Walshe said.
He said police were confident they could achieve their target of 237 deaths by 2017, meaning nine fatalities a year would need to be taken off the toll over the next five years.

PEDESTRIAN DEATHS IN 2011

Men 32, Women 18
Six were under 18 (12 per cent of pedestrian deaths)
20 were aged 30 to 59 (40 per cent of pedestrian deaths)
Elderly pedestrians had biggest increase (86 per cent): 13 people aged over 80 killed
Pedestrians at fault in 33 of 50 fatalities
Source: Victoria Police

HOW THE ROAD TOLL HAS FALLEN

2011 288*
2010 288
2009 290
2008 303
2007 332
2006 337
2005 346
2004 343
2003 330
2002 397
2001 444
* Provisional total

Then on page 6 a sad story about a 5 year old being run over by a car doing only 10kph in a caravan park.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/mor...-1226234451846

No indication from the Deputy Commissioner of Police Walshe of what could be a satisfactory road toll. Maybe zero, only when all vehicles (motorbikes, cars, trucks) are banned completely from the roads, and everyone stayed at home.