Motorists and cyclists will soon need to slow down to 30km/h in parts of Fitzroy and Collingwood, as Yarra becomes the first council in Australia to trial the reduced area-wide speed limit.

The trial starts in late September and will run for 12 months in the neighbourhood streets bordered by Alexandra Parade, Johnston Street, Hoddle Street and Nicholson Street. Brunswick Street and Smith Street are not included in the trial.

The aim of the trial is to create safer and more liveable streets, especially for people who walk and cycle.

Ninety per cent of crashes in the area have involved pedestrians, cyclists or motorbike riders, but we know that people have a much better chance of escaping serious injury if vehicles travel more slowly.

In fact, a pedestrian hit by a motor vehicle is at least twice as likely to survive if the vehicle is travelling at 30km/h instead of 40km/h.

There are lots of ways Council could make cars slow down, by building speed humps or implementing other costly changes to road infrastructure.

This approach is different because it focuses on changing our attitudes and behaviour to achieve positive change, rather than spending money on road works.

It’s about creating streets that are vibrant, where people feel safe to cycle, walk around and spend time in their neighbourhood.