02-07-2025
Road safety expert suggests reduced urban speed limit to keep people safe
A road safety expert has called for the speed limit in all urban areas in Western Australia to be reduced to 30 kilometres per hour, calling it the only sure-fire way to protect vulnerable road users.
While often proving controversial with the public, multiple local governments across Perth and regional WA have moved to the lower limit in busy areas such as shopping and cafe strips.
Western Australian Centre for Road Safety Research deputy director Paul Roberts said dropping the speed limit was the only way to keep people safe.
"In any area where there is high volume or where cars and pedestrians and other vulnerable road users mix, we have to have lower speed limits," he said.
"It's not about whether it's a metropolitan or regional area.
Geraldton, Bunbury and Subiaco have already implemented lower speed limits.
Subiaco Mayor David McMullen said the benefits of the decision were clear.
"Speed limits on Rokeby Road were reduced to 30kph in 2021, which has resulted in an almost 50 per cent reduction in reported accidents," he said.
The City of Subiaco is also one of five inner-city councils that plan to expand 40kph residential areas, along with the cities of Perth, South Perth, Vincent and Victoria Park.
Together, they form the Perth Inner City Group.
"Following a review of community feedback, and a technical review of the proposed area-wide speed zones, the Perth Inner City Group will submit the 40kph proposal to Main Roads WA and the Road Safety Commission for consideration," Mr McMullen said.
"In the City of Subiaco, only local residential streets would have the reduction in speed limits.
"This means minimal to no appreciable impact on transit times in many cases because it's not long before drivers get back onto bigger distributor roads."
Associate Professor Roberts said a pedestrian only had a 10 per cent chance of survival if they were struck at 60kph.
"If we take it down to 30 kilometres an hour, which is the gold standard for pedestrian areas around the world, the survival rate, instead of being 10 per cent, is 90 per cent," he said.
Local governments in regional areas such as Albany are also taking action on urban speed.
Earlier this year, the City of Albany expanded 40kph zones to encompass areas with high pedestrian activity, including two children's crossings on Lockyer Avenue and Middleton Road.
Great Southern Traffic Unit officer in charge Derek Grimes said it was a good move for safety.
"When you look down York Street, it's pretty hard to do more than 40kph when it's busy anyway, just with traffic congestion," Senior Sergeant Grimes said.
"But on the surrounding roads, for example Aberdeen Street and some of the other ones, there has been a remarkable decrease in speed, which is good.
"Getting hit by a car even at 40 can cause serious injury, let alone 50, so it's certainly a move in the right direction for safety."
Road Safety Minister Reece Whitby said lowering urban speed limits was a discussion for local governments and communities.
"I welcome that discussion, and if we can have common-sense approaches that increase community safety it's a good thing," he said.
"We know there are 40kph limits outside schools during drop-off and pick-up times, and that makes sense, that's common sense.
"I think there could be other parts of suburbs and towns where it makes sense to have that lower speed limit."
