French road safety association launches petition for 30 km/h limits in urban areas

ETSC’s French member Association Prévention Routière has launched a petition to change the national traffic code to make 30 km/h the default speed limit in urban areas. 

The organisation says lower limits will be make urban areas:

• Safer for everyone;
• More accessible;
• More pleasant to live in as noise and air pollution are reduced.

Spain and Wales were the first countries to lower the default limit in urban areas nationwide. Recently mayors from across Europe defended the right of local authorities to set appropriate speed limits in an open letter published in the Financial Times newspaper.  A number of French cities including Paris, Lille, Lyon and Grenoble have introduced large 30 km/h zones in recent years.