20 mph zone
A 30 kph zone is an area of public roads, within which all vehicles must move by a maximum speed of 30 km / hr. Zones of this type are used for traffic calming. Especially often they are found in residential areas.
History
The center of Buxtehude was declared on November 14, 1983 as part of a pilot project for the first 30 kph zone in Germany. In the 1980s led many German cities in their residential areas 30 kph zones. For example, advised the city of Munich their first 30 kph zone ( settlement on Lerchenauer lake ) on 19 January 1988.
In many places, road networks are reported in residential areas as Tempo 30 zones since then. For example, put the city of Graz in Austria on September 1, 1992, the limit on all roads except the main roads to a maximum of 30 km / h fixed. In Switzerland, 30 kph zones in 1989 were regulated by law, and then first established in Zurich in 1991. In Switzerland Tempo 40 zones were known earlier.
Purpose
A 30 kph zone may be established for the following reasons:
- Increase road safety (especially school safety)
- Reducing emissions ( especially exhaust emissions and noise )
- Improvement of living and quality of stay
Signs
Traffic rules for Tempo 30 zones and their signs are regulated in the road laws of the respective countries and are largely similar lines.
In Germany, Austria and Switzerland each have a corresponding billboard shall be erected at the beginning and end of a 30 kph zone.
Beginning of a 30 kph zone in Austria
Beginning of a 30 kph zone in Switzerland
End of a 30 kph zone in Germany
End of a 30 kph zone in Austria
End of a 30 kph zone in Switzerland
The announcement of a 30 kph zone, in addition to signs through a coating applied to the road surface marking done. This is red with a white frame and a white framed 30 in the middle, but sometimes only the number 30 in white color, but the road marking without using the proper shield alone has no meaning.
Legal situation in Germany
In Germany 30 kph zones are established on the basis of § 45 paragraph 1c of the Highway Code. The beginning of the 30 kph zone will be marked with signs 274.1, 274.2 the end with characters. The right of way is generally determined within a 30 kph zone by the rule " right before left" ( § 8 Highway Code ), is, however, for older lichtzeichen controlled junctions grandfathering. In Tempo 30 zones beyond any use requiring bike paths may be expelled. Since 1 February 2001 Tempo 30 zones need not be announced by obstacles on the road in Germany. With the newly introduced provision of § 39 para 1a Highway Code has specified that the driver has to reckon within built-up areas off the priority roads with the arrangement of Tempo 30 zones at any time.
The VwV traffic law states ( Rd.-Nr. 37 to § 45): " The arrangement of Tempo 30 zones to be made on the basis of an areal transport planning of the municipality, within which both the intra- local priority road network ( numeral 306 ) is set should be. Here (character 306) is a powerful, also the needs of public transport and commercial transport corresponding priority road network ensured. The public order and safety (such as rescue services, civil defense, fire brigade) and traffic safety is paramount to take into account. " The definition of a priority road network is thus a prerequisite for the installation of Tempo 30 zones.
Under the Swiss model of encounter zones with a speed limit of 20 km / h with little traffic operations are in Germany increased ( also called speed or pace -10 -20 zones ) was established. In such a region all traffic laws except for the speed limit are identical to a 30 kph zone.