Gerard Bedard

I am in full support of Senate Bill 559 which would reduce the minimum allowable speed limit a municipality can set on a locally controlled road from 25 mph to 20 mph, based on an engineering or traffic study. An American Automobile Association report indicated that a pedestrian struck by an automobile traveling 23 MPH had a 1 in 4 chance of suffering a serious injury or death. Why should our state laws not allow a municipality to post a speed limit below 25 mph? Not only will the lower speed reduce the chance of serious injury or death to the pedestrian in a crash, it would likely even prevent the crash altogether. It might be okay to prioritize motor vehicles on our major highways like interstate highways and turnpikes but when it comes to roads passing through communities with pedestrians and bicyclist, including children, they, the vulnerable road user should be given priority.