European community for mobility management

Car drivers ignore speed limits at 30 km/hrs zones. That was the conclusion after a speed limit suveillance in 14 of the 30 km zones: 92% of the car owners drive (much) too hard. The result: The Netherlands calls for more inspections and enforcement of 30 km/hrs by a tight layout of the street. This is not the solution according XTNT, experts in traffic and transport. They think that you need to focus on psyche of the driver. Use positive associations and seduce the driver. 

A car driver has a negative association when he enters a 30 km zone, cause he can’t drive as fast as he wants. The trick is to reverse this negative association into a positive one: this zone is an area where children play and where residents can stay comfortable. It’s about active and positive priming: shape the area according the attitude you want from the driver towards the playing area or pleasant residential area. Of course you need to have signs indicating that the maximum speed is 30 km/hrs, but that should be supportive and naturally, not imposed and illogical or without apparent reason. 

An important key to success is the cooperation with local residents. The residents will have a major influence on the driving behavior in the area, cause the residents themselves belong to the speeding drivers too.

Source (in Dutch)