The zone 30 in Brussels hits the mark

A systematic review of 40 European cities now confirms that a 30km/h speed limit improves road safety and creates healthier and more liveable cities. 

What are the results?

On average, implementing 30 km/h speed limits resulted in:

• 23% less road crashes
• 38% less injuries
• 37% less fatalities

In addition, the review also found evidence that 30km/h are good for the environment and our health (though these results are less robust due to only few cities having collected data on these issues):

• emissions decreasing on average by 18%
• noise pollution levels reduces by 2.5 dB
• fuel consumption decreased by 7%

These results mean that implementing 30 km/h speed limits are also better for the air quality in Brussels and an important asset for achieving the Ambient Air Quality Directive (AAQD).

European rise

The infographic below illustrates the impact of lower vehicle speeds on braking distance and pedestrian survival rate:

Many other European cities now seem to be getting that message too, with laws passed in Austria and Germany making it easier for cities to introduce 30 km/h speed limits. And after Spain, Wales has also introduced a general speed limit for residential roads across the country.

After early trendsetters Graz, Stockholm, Ghent and Grenoble, Brussels was one of the first major European cities to introduce the 30 km/h speed limit in 2021, along with Paris and Madrid. This study proves the usefulness of that introduction in our capital city. With the Clean Cities Campaign, we call on other cities to also work towards these 30 km/h zones. Amsterdam and Bologna recently followed suit.