The plan hopes to give pedestrians a fighting chance if they are ever unfortunately hit by a car. According to the LADOT, a pedestrian's chance increases to 90% if a vehicle is moving at 20 mph.
The changes come after the passage of AB 43, which went into effect this year. Before AB 43, cities like Los Angeles were forced to actually raise their speed limits as part of the controversial law called the 85th percentile law. But with the aid of AB 43, cities are now allowed to take greater control of the local speed limits. The reasoning behind the speed reductions is simple: the slower a vehicle is moving the more likely a pedestrian will survive an accident.
According to the Los Angeles Department of Transportation, if a vehicle is traveling at 40 mph and hits a pedestrian, the victim has a 10% chance of survival. However, the pedestrian’s likelihood of surviving the crash goes up to 90% if the vehicle was traveling at only 20 mph.“As humans, we’re not designed to survive an encounter with a moving vehicle going faster than 40 mph,” said LADOT General Manager Seleta Reynolds.