VACC Questions Proposed Changes to Melbourne CBD Speed Limits

MELBOURNE – Aug 16, 2011: VACC, the peak automotive industry body in Victoria, has questioned a call to reduce Melbourne CBD speed limits.

The Yarra Council will tonight vote on whether to reduce speed limits to as low as 30 kilometres an hour.

Speaking on 3AW radio this morning, about the potential change, the Right Honourable Lord Mayor of Melbourne, Robert Doyle said “It (a slower speed limit) is not going to slow you down much, if you think about how busy the City is, but it might save a lot of accidents and injuries.

“We’ve got 800,000 people, 300,000 cars, tens of thousands of bicycles and thousands of trams. It’s a pretty dangerous mix and we are the highest collision, highest injury area in the State,” said the Lord Mayor.

VACC works closely with Government and their instrumentalities, in particular, VicRoads, RACV and TAC, to help reduce the State’s road toll and in tackling infrastructure issues. VACC welcomes all discussions aimed at making roads safer and is interested in discussing changes to CBD speed limits with the Lord Mayor and the appropriate agencies and associations.

“VACC supports initiatives to reduce road injuries and fatalities but we require more information and analysis on comments made by the Lord Mayor this morning, relating to reducing City speed limits. In particular, we would like to see evidence that reducing speed limits to 30 km/h actually lowers the crash rates, and similar figures for road injuries and fatalities,” VACC Executive Director, David Purchase, said.

“We also question the knock on effects of slower driving speeds in the City on traffic flow, congestion and pollution levels. There is an important discussion to be had here and it is important that all interested groups are consulted before any firm decisions are made,” Mr Purchase said.