title: A health impact assessment of a proposed bill to decrease speed limits on local roads in Massachusetts (U.S.A.).
abstract: Decreasing traffic speeds increases the amount of time drivers have to react to road hazards, potentially averting collisions, and makes crashes that do happen less severe. Boston's regional planning agency, the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC), in partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH), conducted a Health Impact Assessment (HIA) that examined the potential health impacts of a proposed bill in the state legislature to lower the default speed limits on local roads from 30 miles per hour (mph) to 25 mph. The aim was to reduce vehicle speeds on local roads to a limit that is safer for pedestrians, cyclists, and children. The passage of this proposed legislation could have had far-reaching and potentially important public health impacts. Lower default speed limits may prevent around 18 fatalities and 1200 serious injuries to motorists, cyclists and pedestrians each year, as well as promote active transportation by making local roads feel more hospitable to cyclists and pedestrians. While a lower speed limit would increase congestion and slightly worsen air quality, the benefits outweigh the costs from both a health and economic perspective and would save the state approximately $62 million annually from prevented fatalities and injuries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, 401 Park Drive, Boston, MA 02215, USA. pjames@hsph.harvard.edu.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: James
authors.affiliation: Metropolitan Area Planning Council, 60 Temple Place, Boston, MA 02111, USA. kito@mapc.org.
authors.forename: Kate
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, 401 Park Drive, Boston, MA 02215, USA. rbanay@mapc.org.
authors.forename: Rachel F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Banay
authors.affiliation: Center for Health and the Global Environment, Harvard School of Public Health, 401 Park Drive, Boston, MA 02215, USA. jbuonocore@mail.harvard.edu.
authors.forename: Jonathan J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Buonocore
authors.affiliation: Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Division of Prevention and Wellness, 250 Washington Street, Boston, MA 02108, USA. ben.wood@state.ma.us.
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wood
authors.affiliation: Metropolitan Area Planning Council, 60 Temple Place, Boston, MA 02111, USA. mca767@mail.harvard.edu.
authors.forename: Mariana C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Arcaya
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000397:Air Pollution / Q000517:prevention & control; D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D001642:Bicycling / Q000293:injuries; D002648:Child; D062489:Health Impact Assessment; D006801:Humans; D008404:Massachusetts; D001335:Vehicle Emissions / Q000517:prevention & control; D016138:Walking / Q000293:injuries; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D001335:Vehicle Emissions