Legislative Council Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3) 51 3 Parliament of South Australia Legislative Council published Question Time Road Safety ROAD SAFETY The Hon. A. BRESSINGTON Legislative Council ROAD SAFETY The Hon. A. BRESSINGTON (15:18): Can the minister provide the council with information on how effective reducing the speed limit from 50 to 60 km/h has been? Is there any research or data which shows that it has contributed to a reduction in crashes or road accidents since the introduction of the 50 km/h speed limit? The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO Legislative Council Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Road Safety, Minister for Gambling, Minister Assisting the Minister for Multicultural Affairs ROAD SAFETY The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO (Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Road Safety, Minister for Gambling, Minister Assisting the Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (15:18): Yes, I can do that. Research conducted by the Centre for Automotive Safety Research on the 50 km/h zone also shows that, on roads where the speed limit was reduced from 60 to 50, the number of casualty crashes fell by 20 per cent, so we had 330 fewer casualty crashes. The number of people injured in crashes fell by 24 per cent, which was 495 fewer casualties; and the number of people killed fell from 14 to eight. We know that speeding increases crash risk and impacts upon the severity of a crash. The risk of serious injury or death in a crash is twice as great at 65 km/h as it is at 60 km/h and four times as great at 70 km/h.