LA Reduces Speed Limits On Nearly 200 Miles Of Streets

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — A new ordinance recently signed by Mayor Eric Garcetti on Monday will lower the speed limits for 177 miles of Los Angeles surface streets by 5 mph or more.

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.

"This is an important step toward the safer streets that we all deserve," said Garcetti.  "The day when speeding vehicles in our city no longer injure or worst of all take someone's life — is our North Star today."

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. "And the day that we had to take that action of increasing speed limits on 200 miles of streets was an extremely dark day."

The ordinance will go into effect in about a month. A full list of speed reductions can be viewed here.