motorised traffic in residential areas often goes too fast. The maximum speed limit of 50 km/h is even often too high for some streets in such areas, in particular in the older ones. Therefore a lower speed limit of 30 km/h has been introduced since january 1, 1984 in the netherlands. There is however the condition that this speed limit must be displayed on traffic signs. The background to the introduction of this speed limit is that traffic safety is positively influenced. The long term aims of the 30 km/h measure have to do with the layout of residential areas. The 30 km/h measure is one of the measures of a policy to divide the future roads inside built-up areas into two categories: traffic and living streets. The speed limit should be applied in those areas in which motorised traffic has priority over the living function of the road and its environment. The expected effects of the measure are discussed and an approach for evaluation of the measure is presented.
Abstract