The Prévention Routière association has just launched a petition demanding the generalization of 30 km/h in every city in France. “Our city centers are living spaces shared by everyone: schoolchildren, parents with strollers, elderly people, people with reduced mobility, motorists, cyclists, scooter users of all ages… The cohabitation of each other can sometimes be a source of tension and anxiety. Together, let’s mobilize to make our cities safer, friendlier, more beautiful,” explains the association’s text.
According to the authors of the petition, the speed of motor vehicles is an aggravating factor in traffic accidents and one of the main causes of death on the roads of France. “The more the speed increases, the more the driver’s field of vision decreases, the more quickly the gathering of information must be and becomes more difficult, the longer the stopping distance,” the text further says.
Increase the chances of survival of pedestrians
With supporting figures, the association shows that at 30 km/h a pedestrian has almost a 90% chance of survival in the event of a collision with a vehicle, and only 20% at 50 km/h. “It is time for things to change and for road safety to be a priority,” we read in the petition.
The Prévention Routière association also ensures that this change should not be seen as a constraint, but rather as “the only real solution to better cohabitation on the road and in our streets”. “Going from 50 to 30 km/h in town will undeniably have an impact on the number of accidents and their severity. (…) It is also an opportunity to rethink our travel and make the city a safer and more friendly space where the safety and well-being of all are the priority,” concludes the text by requesting the modification of article R413-3 of the Highway Code.