Yorkton City Council is set to change speed limits to better reflect how people actually drive.
Following a presentation at a regular meeting in January by Coalition for Natural Speed Limits (CNSL) president Hans Von Hagen—who grew up in Germany where there are no speed limits on the autobahn—Council decided to review the City’s bylaw.
“We were amazed by the results," said Mayor Bob Maloney. “The actual speed people travel on city streets does not appear to be governed by the speed limits at all.”
The CNSL has long argued that speed limits are arbitrary and set too low because people are going to drive at the speed they are comfortable.
“It’s a cash grab by governments,” Von Hagen said.
But the Yorkton study found the opposite.
“We found the natural speed limit within the city is around 20 kilometres an hour, even though it is currently 50,” said Clayton Werner, the City’s roadways manager.
Effective July 1, the new speed limit in Yorkton, unless otherwise posted, will be 20 kilometres an hour.
The only exception will be school zones, which will be set at 60 km/hr.
“For some reason, even the most timid drivers seem to blast through school zones,” Werner noted.
