The Green Party has welcomed the extension of 30 km/h speed limit zones in Dublin’s Inner City stating that this is an important step towards creating calmer communities.Councillor Carán Cuffe who chairs Dublin City Council’s Transport Committee said:“This is a good day for those who live in the 30 km/h speed limit zones. In addition to saving lives the new speed limits will allow more children to walk and cycle, and play outside. The new signs not only display the speed limit, they also feature an image of a car playing ball. This sends out a clear message that streets are for people, as well as cars.“As drivers we all have to play our part in slowing down and making our communities safer. Not only will these measures reduce deaths and injuries on our roads, they will also make our streets more sociable places. These measures aren’t just about road safety, they are about fostering a new pride of place in our city. We can all contribute to this.“It is important however to stress the safety benefits. One fifth of road deaths are caused by excessive speed and over half of those fatalities being pedestrians. Twenty one people died on Dublin’s roads last year. Extending lower speed limits can contribute to lower casualties in future years. Studies show that pedestrians have a 90% chance of surviving a car crash at 30km/h or below, but less than a 50% chance of surviving an impact at 45 km/h*.“As we unveil these new speed limits I want to pay tribute to the work of Roseann Brennan who lost her three year old son Jake who was struck by a car outside his home in Kilkenny on 12th June 2014. Her campaigning role, along with that of the Dublin Cycling Campaign and the ‘Love30’ group has contributed to our work. ‘Jake’s Legacy’ will be safer streets and more livable communities.“Our research has shown that these new speed limits have 80% approval in the areas where they are being unveiled, and will add at most a minute to car journey times. The signs themselves cost between €300,000 and €350,000. The Dublin Fire Brigade tell us that the cost of a serious collision is €1,500,000. This initiative will pay for itself in no time.”“Other European cities such as Paris, London and Edinburgh have rolled out are-wide 30 km/h speed limits in recent years. We are now joining this club of progressive European cities cities that believes people, and communities are more important than cars.ENDSNote*https://ec.europa.eu/transport/road_safety/specialist/knowledge/vehicle/key_issues_for_vehicle_safety_design/what_forces_can_be_tolerated_the_human_body_enhttp://www.dublincity.ie/main-menu-services-roads-and-traffic/speed-review-frequently-asked-questionsReleased 31Mar17, page last updated 30Mar17