In the smart city, the highway code is becoming smart: this is the case in the Brussels-Capital Region with “smart 30 zones” whose speed limit changes in the vicinity of schools according to the time of the day.
Restricting the speed of cars and other road users in town is a common-sense measure for pedestrian safety. That is the aim of the “30 zones” which reduce the permitted speed to 30 km/h instead of the 50 km/h generally applied.
In the Brussels-Capital Region, the entire city centre – within the “Pentagon” drawn by the inner ring – is concerned. Beyond that, some main thoroughfares or portions of them are also concerned: this is the case around schools, in order to keep children safe.
In reality, however, motorists are not very good at keeping to these limits. The absolute nature of the limit appears to be a problem. In the evening and at weekends, i.e. outside of school hours, drivers tend to drive above the legal limit.
30 or 50 km/h depending on the time of the day
The alternative now proposed is to change the 30 km/h limit according to certain times of the day. Strictly applying the limit at the times children arrive and leave school, the limit is then raised to 50 km/h the rest of the time.
There just remains to let drivers know. And this is done, thanks to the new traffic signs which light up and display the 30 km/h only at those times when the limit applies.
This new provision of the Highway Code and its smart signs continue the goal to get more motorists to keep to the speed limit while ensuring better traffic flow outside the times concerned. Applied currently only on regional roads, this smart traffic sign system should be extended to all the Brussels schools concerned by the end of 2017.
