VULNERABLE ROAD USERS AND SPEED
- Of the 1,136 people killed in road crashes in 2018, 178 were pedestrians (16%).
- More than 1 in 10 pedestrian deaths involves a HEAVY VEHICLE.
- The majority of all pedestrian deaths occur in 50–60 km/h zones.
- Over the last decade, fatalities of bike riders have increased by around 45%.
- In 2019, 34.4% of all road related deaths were Vulnerable Road Users (410 people)
- The probability of death or serious injury for pedestrians and cyclists in a crash increases exponentially with increasing vehicle speed.
The probability of death or serious injury for pedestrians and cyclists in a crash increases exponentially with increasing vehicle speed. There is a 10% probability of being killed if they are struck at 30 km/h, and a probability of over 90% of being killed at 50 km/h, the general urban speed limit.
Source: Jurewicz, Sobhani et al (2015) and based on Wramborg (2005).
THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE WITH SPEED LIMITING
One of the biggest challenges that heavy vehicle drivers face is the rapidly changing speed zones that exist in urban and regional areas. Within a few short kilometres, freight drivers, for example, can move from a 40 km zone to a 50 km zone, then to 60 km, to 80 km, to 90km, and then to 100 and 110km zones. If they are long-haul drivers, they can find themselves driving in different cities, where the standard speed could be anywhere from 25km/h in Canberra to 50 km in Brisbane. A driver has to see every speed sign change at all times.
