What amounts to a minor bump at 20 kilometres per hour is more likely to be a killer when the same car strikes the same child at 50 kph.
Armed with research from across the continent, a Red Deer father is lobbying the city to either reduce the speed limit in residential areas or double the fine for people caught exceeding it — or both.
Red Deer has a “default” speed limit of 50 kph, which Ryan Brown would like to see lowered to 40 in residential areas both to prevent pedestrian collisions and to reduce the impact if a vehicle does bump a child running blindly into the street.
Brown is forming a lobby plan after learning that other parents, including some of his neighbours in Kentwood, share his concerns about cars, trucks and motorcycles speeding along the streets in front of their homes.
One of the houses near his has been struck twice by vehicles that have lost control on the curve, said Brown.
Both he and Mayor Morris Flewwelling point to the Town of Sylvan Lake’s default speed limit of 40 kph, which is 10 kph lower than the urban speed limit prescribe by provincial law.
Part of the rationale for the lower limit in Sylvan Lake is its place as a recreational and tourist centre, said Flewwelling.
He acknowledged that many drivers habitually drive faster than the posted rate. However, there is an argument to be made for a lower limit, because it will slow them down, he said.
While he had not seen any submissions from Brown as of Friday afternoon, Flewwelling supports the principal, having recently discussed the issue during the Liveable Cities conference in Portland, Ore.
One of the sessions included discussion of the relationship between the severity of injuries to pedestrians and the speed the vehicles are travelling when they are struck.
Severity increases potential for a fatality rises sharply as speed rates rise from 20 to 50, said Flewwelling.
“I brought the idea home, that we might look at reducing our speed limits.”
Flewwelling beleives speed limits of 60 and 70 on major thoroughfares should stay, but limits should be lowered on streets inside residential areas.
Brown said he is just getting rolling with and has not received much encouragement from the staff he has spoken with at City Hall.
More than 50 people have now signed up to a Facebook page he started about two weeks ago and he is also looking at other options.
They include making a presentation to City Council and raising the issue with candidates during upcoming municipal elections.
Facebook users can look up Neighbournood Speed Initiative in Red Deer, AB to learn more.
bkossowan@www.reddeeradvocate.com