Atlanta’s 2017 pedestrian fatality rate was the 23rd highest out of the 175 largest cities in the nation. In 2018, a person walking or biking was killed somewhere in this country every 73 minutes - 6,283 pedestrians and 857 cyclists - the highest figures in 30 years. 

Cities across the U.S. and the world are setting safer speed limits to reduce traffic fatalities and injuries. By lowering the speed limit, top outlier speeds go down. 

We are joining forces with Voices for Healthy Kids/American Heart Association, PEDS, AARP Georgia, other organizations, and a growing number of Atlanta neighborhood associations and NPUs to add Atlanta to the list of cities with safer speed limits.

Act now: Tell your City of Atlanta elected officials you want a safer speed limit of 25 mph on city streets.

The faster a person is driving in a collision, the more likely a person walking will be killed or seriously injured. From a driver’s perspective, the difference between 15 mph and 30 mph is a light tap on the gas pedal. For a person walking across the street, that can be the difference between a bad day and a life-changing injury or death.

In Boston, after default speed limits on most local streets were changed to 25 mph, the odds of drivers exceeding 35 mph fell by almost 30%.

Reducing the speed limit is one policy that gets us closer to Vision Zero, the simple premise that traffic fatalities and severe injuries are preventable and that no one should die in traffic. 

As we keep pushing for changes to our street design and infrastructure, we can do something today that will help save lives. 

Thank you to the following for supporting this effort: American Heart Association, AARP Georgia, Atlanta Track Club, PEDS, Cabbagetown Neighborhood Association, Center Hill Neighborhood Association, Capitol View Neighborhood Association, Grant Park Neighborhood Association, NPU J, Reynoldstown Civic Improvement League, Thread ATL, & TransFormation Alliance. 

Thank you for taking action to make our streets safer!