Steve Cardownie: 20mph speed limits appear to be saving lives
I have welcomed the extension of 20mph zones in the city because I am persuaded by the basic physics that a car colliding with a pedestrian at 20mph will cause less damage than one travelling at 30mph or 40mph because it carries less energy into the collision.
And recent figures provided by Police Scotland give much cause for optimism that 20mph zones are indeed working. The statistics reveal that there were 24 per cent fewer casualties between October and November last year compared to the same period the year before. So Councillor Lesley Macinnes, the city’s transport and environment convener, is spot on when she says that you are seven times more likely to survive being hit at 20mph than you are being struck at 30mph and that cannot be ignored.
It is still early days and further comparisons will be made but all the indications are that our street safety is improving and if that means one less person in hospital or worse, in a casket, then surely a limit of 20mph is a price worth paying!