I am coming to you today as a concerned resident and parent living on a cul-de-sac that is home to multiple families with many young children. These children, raised to love the outdoors, frequently play in our street, enjoying their bikes, scooters, and toys. Yet, our sense of safety and peace is shattered by the worrying speed some of our neighbours drive at down our street.

Despite requests to slow down, these neighbours assert their right to maintain the mandated 50km speed limit. We understand their perspective, yet we must also consider the safety of our children who are at risk. Speed has been a contributing factor in roughly one-third of fatal collisions involving young pedestrians (World Health Organization, 2018) and a lower speed limit can immensely help in avoiding such tragic events.

By reducing the speed limit to 20km, we can create a safer space for our children while causing only a minor inconvenience to drivers. Lower speed limits have been shown to significantly decrease the risk of fatal accidents, making residential areas safer for everyone (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 2017).

Please join us in this urgent plea for the safety of our children. We implore the local council to lower our street’s speed limit to 20km. Protect our children, sign this petition today.