What led you to run 30 Marathons in 30 months?
I am a Transportation Engineer and I have been specializing in road safety for more than 30 years, both in Greece and particularly internationally. We have observed that all these scientific researches and interventions we carry out are heard, but not that much. On the contrary, we have seen that when you do something somehow different, the message gets across better. I have always been a runner, I’ve been running Marathons since I was young, and I decided to combine both passions, hoping that we could better and more largely convey the message of road safety. The very basic message of lower speeds through the 30 km/h speed limits passes better through this different effort of 30 Marathons in 30 months and apparently, it is still within my capabilities. Obviously, I don’t run all the Marathons very fast; some go a little slower, but for now, all are under 4 hours. However, I keep a steady and sustainable pace to manage to stay fresh for the next race. In any case, I must tell you that at every Marathon, there is an impressive response to my challenge from a very large audience.
How will 30 km/h benefit traffic?
Simply by implementing a 30 km/h speed limit in urban areas, even with moderate or minimal enforcement, we will save many lives from traffic crashes and quite quickly. This happened very quickly in Paris, in Brussels, throughout Wales. Recently, it started in Amsterdam, in Bologna and there were complaints, but after a while, everyone saw that this measure does not have a significant negative impact on everyday life. In the morning peak hours, most people already drive at low speeds anyway. The change is at night when most crashes occur, but the impact is minor since few need to reduce their speed. Especially for Greece, the major issue concerns motorcyclists, who are at risk by other drivers driving at high speeds but also being at risk by themselves when they ride at high speeds.
We have calculated that especially in Greece we can save 100 lives per year (out of the 620 annual fatalities) solely by introducing this 30 km/h speed limit in all urban areas. We constantly hear people saying: “As a car driver at 50 km/h within the city, I am very safe – why should I reduce it to 30 km/h?” We might absolutely agree that a vehicle moving at 50 km/h within the city can crash, but the severity will be low for the car occupants. However, the 30 km/h measure aims to save those outside the car: pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists, and we have many in Greece, especially motorcyclists, those are the ones we want to save. 70% of the fatalities in cities across Europe and in Greece are vulnerable road users: pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists. These are the people we want to save. So, it is worth delaying a little and we are talking about 1-2 extra minutes in our daily trips, to save the lives of those who are vulnerable outside our vehicle. The numbers coming from everywhere are impressive and we’ve seen that after 6 months, after a year, acceptance grows significantly because with a small change in driver behaviour, we have a huge benefit and a newfound calmness in the city. Gradually, we hope that lower speed limits will also come to Greece. It is already anticipated in the New Road Traffic Code, and we hope it will be implemented soon.
Will the reduction of the speed limit affect congestion?
Congestion is an ally of safety and the 30 km/h limit will not significantly affect daily life, neither congestion nor safety in the morning, because the severity of crashes is very low. What it mainly affects, as we mentioned, is the afternoon and evening hours. In the evening, we observe high severity crashes and especially for motorcyclists, this is true at any time of the day, because even during the day, motorcyclists are at risk both from other drivers and by themselves when they speed. Not forgetting that motorcyclists in Greece account for 36% of the total fatalities (i.e., one third of the fatalities), whereas in Europe, the corresponding percentage is 18%.
Does it matter that some drivers also lack safety culture?
Safety culture is something that is steadily built, and part of this culture are all the efforts made by the Authorities. When the Authorities adopt the 30 km/h speed limit and gradually work with more systematic enforcement, step by step, the safety culture of drivers will gradually change. When the Authorities make efforts, citizens make efforts too. When the Authorities do not insist and do not adopt the 30 km/h speed limit, nor conduct systematic enforcement, then safety culture does not improve either, thus, both are interlinked.
There is also a discussion that says even if we set the limits, no one will adhere to them. Initially, experience from other European cities showed that in the first few transition months when enforcement was intentionally not strict, average speeds decreased by 5-10 km/h and fatalities dropped by 20-30 solely because when some drivers lower their speed and adhere to the limits, those who follow will inevitably go slower, thus reducing overall speeds and crash casualties. With the new Traffic Code, there will be new fines imposed proportionally to the severity, for instance, if you are driving with more than 10 km/h above the limit, you will pay a certain amount, and if you are driving with more than 20 km/h above, a higher amount. Furthermore, the automated system for traffic offences recording via cameras, which is in preparation, will gradually change improve safety culture. Gradually, both Authorities and citizens will evolve together, so the time has come for Greece to move in this direction.
Traffic is like a Marathon, not a sprint
If we look at the example of the Marathon, we start slowly from the beginning, with a steady pace, saving energy so as not to exhaust ourselves. We remain calm, and this gives us sustainability and the stamina to endure kilometer after kilometer until the finish line. The same applies to traffic. It’s not a sprint. We should always pay attention, move slowly, be calm and this will provide us a completely different mobility experience, both as drivers and pedestrians, motorcyclists and cyclists. Today, many cyclists but also pedestrians, avoid going out on the road because they fear speeds and aggressive driving in various areas. When traffic calms down, more cyclists will be riding, because they will feel more comfortable. Pedestrians will be calmer, and we will be able to better finish the traffic Marathon instead of constantly sprinting and exhausting ourselves. So, the Marathon is a life lesson, especially the Marathon of Marathons in which I am engaged, where I have to finish each Marathon somewhat not tired, ready for the next race.
Has the 30km/h proposal been discussed? What do the officials say?
My campaign is global, and we have a huge visibility in the media and social networks worldwide. Often, our research and campaign serve as examples in discussions why we need the 30 km/h limit, happening in Italy, Wales and the Netherlands today, strongly supported by my 30 Marathons challenge. In Greece also, we have significant acceptance and support. This discussion and the new Road Traffic Code are well advanced in the Government and expected to be out for public consultation very soon. So, a significant step has been taken, and indeed, the entire Government, together with all competent Ministries, stated that this is one of the most significant measures.
Starting from the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, which has prepared the new Road Traffic Code in cooperation with all the competent Ministries, there will be extensive consultation, another Marathon of discussions will begin, as life itself is a Marathon after all. There will be a period for the City Authorities to adjust, then for drivers to adapt and of course, to define the exception road axes, such as for example Syngrou Avenue in Athens, where it’s not feasible for someone to drive at 30 km/h. And the Marathon goes on.
Interview on the Naftemporiki channel in May 2024
