Crash data analysis can tell us whether 30 km/h speed zones eliminate pedestrian injuries and whether an 80 km/h speed limit on rural roads is necessary.
In a paper titled Safe speeds: Fatality and injury risks of pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, and car drivers impacting the front of another passenger car as a function of closing speed and age published in the recently founded Traffic Safety Research journal, we answer the question how fast you can travel when the target is to minimizing injury risks. We conclude: If a 10% risk of serious injury is acceptable, the safe speed limits are 25 km/h for cars with pedestrian encounters; 20 to 25 km/h for cyclists, motorcyclists, and cars when they encounter each other; and 55 km/h for cars in head-on impacts.
