Half more road deaths in West Flemish built-up areas

‘Reduce the speed in built-up areas to 30 kilometers per hour’, asked Flemish Member of Parliament Annick Lambrecht (Vooruit). The question comes after VIAS has released new figures on the number of traffic accidents. This shows that the number of pedestrians who die in built-up areas in West Flanders has almost doubled. Lambrecht therefore argues for a reduction of the maximum speed in built-up areas. Scientific research shows that the chances of survival in an accident at 30 kilometers per hour are significantly higher: from only 15 percent at 50 kilometers per hour to 90 percent at 30 kilometers per hour.

“What is the Flemish government still waiting for? Road safety is a top priority for us. That is why we will continue to put our proposal for a general speed limit of 30 kilometers per hour in built-up areas on the table,” explains the Vooruit politician. There will be exceptions, though. For example, in streets with wide bicycle paths, Vooruit sees no problem with a maximum speed of 50 kilometers per hour.