Veilig Verkeer Nederland advocates a reduction of the maximum speed on N-roads to 60 km/h. We’re not going to get anywhere with that, are we? In fact; it will, I suspect, be more likely to cause problems. Driving slower isn’t always the answer.
The repeating plate; if roads are not ‘safe enough’, it will probably be the speed limit again. Of course I exaggerate somewhat, but VVN’s latest plea seems to come largely from that conviction. A repeat of what the organization already suggested last year, now with a concrete proposal: a reduction of the maximum speed from 80 km/h to 60 km/h. The idea behind it is that speed often plays a role in crashes on N-roads. That is undoubtedly the case, but are we talking about people who drove 80 km / h, or did they drive (much) faster? Will we solve it by collectively driving much slower? That seems strong to me.
The solution may lie earlier in more decisive enforcement of excesses. VVN itself also indicates that enforcement needs to be improved, I have to give them that. The VVN also rightly scrutinizes the layout of many 80 roads. There are indeed 80 roads where in some bends I am also ‘shocked’ by how close to the road there are huge trees, where you can completely crush yourself with one small slipper. Should we remove those trees? No, because then we have another problem with the local beech club. More importantly: trees often also determine the appearance of such a road, in my opinion usually in a positive sense, and can have a sound-absorbing effect. Trees are good for us on many other fronts, too. Never mind.
So, why don’t we all drive 60 km/h together and enforce the excesses? No, bad plan. The crack nose who has not yet turned his car into a murder weapon on a N-road, can still do so if you are only allowed to drive 60 km / h there. I think someone who wants to drive 100 km/h every time on a N-road will simply collect a higher fine on a 60 km/h road than drive much more slowly there. In my opinion, it may even lead to more dangerous driving behaviour, because people who find 80 km/h a good speed are also more likely to speed and overtake 60-drivers, with all possible consequences.
Put down guardrails here and there in bends with trees close to the road, perhaps there can be a solid line in some more places and pick some police from the (safer) highways to have them patrol on N roads. Then I think you’re a long way ahead. Maybe we should just accept that things sometimes go wrong despite that. Even if we were driving at 60 km/h. It stops once. What else would be the next step? Driving 80 km/h on the highway?
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl