Streets ‘devoid of human interactions’ due to dominance of vehicles, committee told

An increasing focus on driver safety by car and road designers has had the unintended consequence of making roads less safe for pedestrians and other vulnerable road users, the Oireachtas transport committee has heard.

Lorraine D’Arcy, of the School of Transport Engineering, Environment and Planning at TU Dublin, was one of a range of expert speakers who said the State’s default speed limit should be 30km/h in built-up areas.

She said practices such as “overdesigning roads to increase driver comfort” and European ratings for cars which place an emphasis on the safety of those in the vehicle “have left communities dealing with an increased threat of larger and faster vehicles on their streets”.

Ms D’Arcy said residential streets “used to be places to congregate and play, main streets used to be meeting places and commercial hubs”.

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She added: “Both are now becoming devoid of human interactions because of the dominance of the private vehicle. This not only has implications for local commerce, but also the health and wellbeing of our population.”

Ms D’Arcy said the measurement of safe streets should not be just how many people are killed or injured “but a multi criteria assessment that includes the number of people walking and cycling in an area”.

“Currently digital mapping and route-finding apps directed drivers into residential areas for trip-time savings based on current speed limits. Lower speed limits will discourage algorithms from directing traffic into these areas,” she said.

Serve to benefit

Road Safety Authority chief executive Sam Waide told the committee that nine out of 10 pedestrians or cyclists would die if hit by a vehicle travelling at 60km/h. However, he said nine out of 10 would live if hit by a vehicle doing 30 km/h.

“We must reduce the risks posed to pedestrians and cyclists,” he said. “Urban speed limits should not serve to benefit drivers, but rather benefit active travel and protect pedestrians and cyclists.”

The target of introducing a reduced speed default limit in towns and villages is one of the key measures in the first phase of the current road safety strategy, and Mr Waide said the aim was to have it introduced by 2024.

Mr Waide said Irish road deaths have declined by almost 70 per cent since 1998 and reducing fatalities and serious injuries by 50 per cent over the next decade was achievable. He also said the authority’s long term target of zero road deaths on the State’s roads by 2050 was achievable.

Patchy

Muireann O’Dea, of Love 30, a national alliance supporting a default 30km/h speed limit in built-up areas, said reviews have resulted in most local authorities introducing some 30km/h speed limits.

“But their introduction has been patchy and inconsistent,” she said.

Ms O’Dea said the best way forward was to introduce national legislation mandating a default 30 km/h speed limit in built-up areas.

“It will then be up to councils to decide which (if any) roads should have a different speed limit. A default limit does not prevent a higher limit being introduced where it is deemed necessary and safe.”

Committee chairman Kieran O’Donnell said there was “a process in play” in that a working group had been set up by the Department of Transport to investigate the issue. He said the committee would write to this group seeking to be involved, while also seeking the involvement of the Love 30 group.