Sir, – I fully agree with the points raised by Damien Ó Tuama in relation totraffic calming in urban areas (July 18th). Effective road safety policy should put vulnerable road users (in particular children) at its centre. We know that speed kills and safe speed thresholds vary according to different types of road, weather and light conditions.
The international evidence is that young pedestrians have a 90 per cent chance of survival if knocked down by a car travelling at 30 km/h and this drops to less than 50 per cent if the car speed is 45 km/h or above.
In the United Kingdom, where 30 km/h speed limit zones were introduced, a dramatic 70 per cent reduction in child pedestrian deaths followed.
Modification of car-front design will further reduce child pedestrian injuries.
Let us follow the example of countries such as Sweden and Switzerland where each child pedestrian death is considered a national tragedy and traffic calming is the norm in urban areas. Our children deserve no less . – Yours, etc,
Prof ALF NICHOLSON,
Temple Street Children’s
University Hospital,
Dublin 1.