Call to lower speed limits to reduce Koala deaths

[AWD Chaser]

http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news...-1226143836894

SPEED limits should be lowered, wild dog controls tightened and research funding boosted to stop the decline of koala numbers, a Senate committee has recommended.

http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/committ...report/c04.htm

4.78 The high incidence of koalas being killed by road vehicles was raised as a significant threat to their survival. The Friends of the Koala submitted that car strikes are the second most common cause of koalas being admitted into care and the second most common cause of mortality. The Sunshine Coast Environment Council believes that there is little capacity for resilience with car strikes and recovery options must be urgently investigated. According to the Queensland Department of Environment and Resource Management, there were 4553 reported motor vehicle strikes in south-east Queensland between 1997 and 2009, resulting in more than 3400 koala fatalities.

Recommendation 13
4.90 The committee recommends that local and state governments:

• introduce appropriate speed limits in priority koala areas

Although there are plenty of other recommendations within this senate report (Bridges, wildlife crossings, signage, etc), I wonder if reducing speed limits would reduce Koala deaths as there are no real statistics to say that x amount of Koalas would not be killed at x kph slower...