The speed on provincial roads must be reduced from 80 to 60 kilometers per hour to prevent traffic accidents. Safe Traffic Netherlands (VVN) argues for this.
According to police figures, 41 percent of all fatal traffic accidents take place on provincial roads. Speed ​​often plays a role in these accidents, says VVN. As road managers, the provinces are responsible for these roads.
Provincial roads often have a narrow shoulder, there are ditches nearby and trees are close to the road. As a result, there are few alternatives.
VVN would also like to see more speed enforcement on those roads. Measures such as section checks, unmanned control systems and higher fines for high speeds are mainly used on national roads. The provinces could also take these measures on their roads, says VVN.
‘No solution’
The Foundation for Scientific Research on Road Safety (SWOV) reacts critically to the idea. According to the foundation, the VVN points out a justified problem, but reducing the speed is not a solution. “The design is not in order on many of these roads. You have to start there, for example by installing roadsides.” That is a big job and requires an investment from the province, says a spokesman.
SWOV says that an 80-kilometre road has a different function than a 60-road, and this can be confusing for the driver. “These roads are there to handle large traffic flows. When the speed is reduced, the traffic will move via shortcuts.” There is also a good chance that people will not adhere to the reduced speed due to lack of clarity, which in turn can lead to unsafe situations.
Less emissions
Last year, the province of Utrecht already came up with a plan to reduce the speed on a number of roads to 60 kilometers per hour. This concerns about 20 percent of the total number of kilometers of provincial roads. With this, the provincial government wants to improve road safety and contribute to lower emissions in nature.
- More than 40 percent of the shoulders along highways and N-roads are unsafe
