According to Veilig Verkeer Nederland, the maximum speed on provincial roads should be reduced from 80 to 60 km/h. VVN thinks that this will reduce the number of road deaths, but even the Foundation for Scientific Research on Road Safety (SWOV) disapproves of the idea.
Veilig Verkeer Nederland says that 41% of all fatal traffic accidents take place on provincial roads, according to VVN figures from the police. As road managers, the provinces are responsible for these roads.
According to VVN, provincial roads often have a narrow verge, ditches are close by and trees are close to the road. As a result, there are too few alternatives. The road safety organization would also like to see more police enforcement on those roads.
According to VVN, section controls, mobile unmanned control systems and higher fines for excessive offenders are now mainly used on national roads, provinces could adopt these measures on their roads, VVN says.
However, VVN’s proposal has received a lot of criticism, including from the Foundation for Scientific Research on Road Safety (SWOV), which states that although the plan sounds like an easy measure, it has an enormous impact on traffic. According to the foundation, VVN points out a justified problem, but reducing speed is not the solution.
SWOV says that there is a risk that if you simply lower the maximum speed, the limit no longer fits the function of the road. “Provincial roads are intended to handle traffic flows, a 60-km road has another function, you can’t suddenly throw that overboard.”
According to SWOV, there is even a higher risk of accidents in built-up areas. “When drivers find the maximum speed unbelievable, they start looking for alternative routes. This will get you traffic on roads where you don’t want it, such as in villages and inner cities. This is not desirable with a view to (mustache) cyclists.”
– Thanks for information from Motorfreaks.