City of Stonnington to trial 30km/h speed limit

City of Stonnington Council has announced it will trial a 30km/h speed limit across 12 local areas from next month.

The Council says the 18-month trial, which is set to get underway from 19 October, will help it to understand how a lower speed limit works in different neighbourhoods and what impact it may have on safety, travel and people’s experiences using local streets.   

The streets involved in the trial have been selected due to their location close to schools, key cycling routes and shopping precincts – places where people travel in different ways and at different speeds.

They include: 

“When people are travelling in different ways, unexpected moments can happen quickly – such as a child crossing the street on their way to school, a vehicle turning at an intersection or a bike rider moving around an obstacle,” the Council said in a statement.

“Speed can affect what happens in these moments. Lower speeds can give people more time to respond and can reduce the severity of crashes when they occur. Research shows that when a person walking is hit by a vehicle travelling at 30km/h, their chance of surviving is around 90%. At 50km/h, this drops to around 10%. 

“As part of this trial, we’ve also looked at crash data from the Victorian Government in other areas where a 30 km/h speed limit has been introduced. The data shows a 51% reduction in all crashes and a 70% reduction in serious crashes in those locations.”

Before the trial starts, the Council is asking community members who use these streets to share their current experience of the area with us.

“We’ll compare this feedback with what we hear during and after the trial to understand how the lower speed limit affects safety and travel over time.”

For more details about the trial and opportunities to share your feedback, please visit the 30km/h trial information page.