Speed is one of the main road safety risk factors and is universally recognized as the leading contributor to road fatalities and serious injuries. But there is good news: the speed problem is solvable. Interventions that are proven to be effective exist, and it is well understood where and how they should be applied.

The newly published “Guide for Safe Speeds: Managing Traffic Speeds to Save Lives and Improve Livability” outlines interventions that work and provides guidance on how to select and implement speed limits that are safe for all road users. It also explains how barriers to changing traffic speeds—which are often based on lack of knowledge or misunderstandings—can be overcome.

A primary feature of the guide is its comprehensiveness. The guide covers all types of roads—from city streets to inter-urban roads and motorways (existing or new); all types of road users—from vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists to heavy motorized traffic; all types of speed limit changes—from national general speed limits to localized changes based on risk factors; all types of challenging constraints—from lack of resources to lack of data; and all types of countries—from low-income to high-income.