Lower speed limits in suburban centres across Canberra have been cited in a national report that aims to reduce the number of pedestrian fatalities in Australia.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The report comes as the ACT government considers further reducing speed limits in school zones to improve safety and compliance.
An average of six drivers are cautioned or fined for speeding violations in Canberra school zones daily, although the offence rate is dropping.
Children attending schools in Bruce, Franklin, Narrabundah, Kambah and Deakin are the most likely to be endangered by speeding drivers, a Canberra Times investigation has found.
In July, a 13-year-old boy was taken to hospital with serious injuries after a hit-and-run outside a school in Canberra's north.
Police said the female driver stopped but did not provide information before leaving the scene.
Austroads, the peak organisation for Australian transport and traffic agencies, said these incidents could be reduced by ensuring lower speed limits in risk areas across the nation.
"The higher the speed of a vehicle, the shorter the time a driver has to stop and avoid a crash, including hitting a pedestrian," the report said.
"Higher speeds also mean that pedestrians may misjudge the speed of an approaching vehicle and mistakenly assume it is safe to cross the road."
The report also mentioned the shared pedestrian zone in Bunda Street as an initiative to improve safety.
Pedestrians account for about 14 per cent of Australian road deaths annually. Research suggests smartphones and speed are the greatest risk factors.
The Austroads report found smartphone use while crossing a road was widespread for those aged between 18 and 30.
"Texting, talking and cognitively demanding smartphone use is associated with greater reaction times and increased errors for competing tasks," the report said.
"Listening to music through headphones may represent a lower level of distraction than texting, voice calls or internet access/use."
The ACT government has continued with plans to close Hibberson Street in Gungahlin to traffic with a tram station to be in operation by early 2019.
A survey of more than 700 respondents found nearly three-quarters wanted the street permanently closed to traffic or made a "pedestrian-first" area.
Forty-nine per cent said the best solution was to permanently close the street to cars and motorcycles, while 18 per cent suggested it should be turned into a "shareway" like Civic's Bunda Street.
