Call to lower speed limit to 30 km/h on urban roads

RAI, the branch organization for the car and bicycle industry, wants to lower the speed limit on urban roads to 30 kilometers per hour, instead of 50 km/h. This is better for road safety, and will also help lower noise pollution from traffic, RAI chairman Steven van Eijck said to NOS.

According to Van Eijk, the past years have seen more and more means of transport added to Dutch roads, including e-bikes and electric scooters. "Everything is coming onto the road now and they are all driving on the roads at different speeds. That's fine, but not if it brings traffic victims with it." 

Lowering the speed limit from 30 to 50 kilometers an hour in urban areas can make a real difference, Van Eijck said. "If you drive 50 kilometers per hour on a dry road surface, you need 19 meters to break. If you drive 30, it is only 7 meters. So it really helps."

The number of traffic accident fatalities in urban areas has decreased in recent years, but the number of people injured increased, according to NOS.

Traffic safety association VVN is pleased with the RAI proposal. "We have been calling for this for some time and if more parties do that, we as VVN will be very happy", spokesperson Jose de Jong said to the broadcaster. De Jong believes that if that rule is implemented in all cities, there will no longer be confusion about how fast you can drive. "Enforcement remains important, but when the rule is set, many people will stick to it."