Australia has applied a 60 km/h default urban speed limit since 1974. In 1999, the Australian Transport Council approved the Australian Road Rules with 60 km/h as the default speed limit for built-up areas. From the early 1990s, individual jurisdictions have introduced lower urban speed limits in various trials. This report: • evaluates available data from Australian trials; • reviews local and overseas research on the impact of lowering speed limits in urban areas; • analyses estimates of the costs and benefits of reducing the current national limit to 50 km/h. The report finds that a reduction in the national default urban speed limit to 50 km/h would result in fewer casualty crashes, property damage crashes and reduced air pollution. (Author/publisher)
Abstract