Boston speed limit drops to 25 mph Monday

Better slow down. The speed limit on Boston streets drops to 25 mph Monday.

The city council voted on Nov. 30 to reduce the speed limit from 30 mph in order to make city streets safer for pedestrians and cyclists.

“No one wants to be involved in a serious traffic crash and slowing down vehicles can help to keep us all safe from harm,” Boston Transportation Commissioner Gina N. Fiandaca said in a statement. “People who drive, walk and ride a bike in Boston are all asked to be aware of others sharing the roadway and to travel on our streets with caution.”

The speed will be the default limit on all city streets if no other speed is posted.

The move is a step forward in Boston’s Vision Zero plan, which advocates for zero traffic-related fatalities, Boston Mayor Marty Wash said.

“Reducing the default speed limit will create safer roads for all, and I’m pleased our hard work and commitment to safer roads has created this new standard,” Walsh said.

Seventeen people were killed in traffic crashes on city streets last year. Twelve of those people were killed while walking and five were killed in motor vehicles.

Slower speed limits could help decrease traffic fatalities, saving lives and preventing injuries, studies show. Research has provena direct between the speed that a vehicle is traveling when a crash occurs and the likelihood of a fatality or severe injury resulting from that crash.

The likelihood that a pedestrian will die after being struck by a car decreases from 20 percent when the vehicle is traveling at 30 mph, to 12 percent when the vehicle is traveling at 25 mph.