Automotive lobby wants 30 km/h speed limits in all Dutch city centers

The automotive lobby, RAI Vereniging, wants a 30-kilometer-per-hour speed limit to apply in all the city centers in the Netherlands. Cities also need to give cyclists and small electric vehicles more room at the expense of the car. And the same traffic rules must apply everywhere in the country, Frits van Bruggen of the RAI Vereniging said to AD about the lobby’s vision for safer roads.

“Our towns and villages were once built to be traversed on foot, on horseback, or by boat. However, there are now 18 million people living on this small piece of land, half of whom live in the city. Together, we own over 9 million cars and more than 23 million bicycles, 4 million of which are already electric. More and more other electric means of transport are being added.”

And that is increasingly leading to unsafe situations on the roads. Last year, 745 people died, and over 20,000 people got hurt in traffic accidents in the Netherlands. “Too much,” Van Bruggen said. “Something urgently needs to change to keep our cities livable and safe.”

The first step, according to the RAI Vereniging, is uniform traffic rules throughout the country. “Now the rules are different in every municipality, which causes chaos and uncertainty for road users,’ Van Bruggen said. “It is essential that traffic rules and signs are as uniform as possible. Everyone - from motorists to hoverboard owners - will then know better where they stand. It prevents confusion, dangerous situations, and ultimately accidents.”

The automotive lobby also wants a 30 km/h speed limit, like the one Amsterdam implemented last week, to apply in all city centers without separate lanes. That will reduce the speed differences between the different vehicles, resulting in fewer accidents, Van Bruggen said.

Cyclists and other compact means of transport also need more space, for example, by widening and expanding cycle paths. And the RAI Vereniging wants the government to legalize e-scooters and other light electric vehicles under the right conditions to ensure they can be used safely and that the authorities can intervene if they’re not.

“The government must stop dawdling. The reality is that current legislation and regulations are not equipped for innovative e-transport means, such as step scooters. While it is not officially allowed, you see them more and more on the road. The police hardly enforce anything,” Van Bruggen said.