(Bloomberg) — A bill that would allow New York City to lower itsspeed limit to 25 miles per hour may get a vote in the statelegislature tomorrow.

The measure, backed by Mayor Bill de Blasio, would reduce thelimit in most areas by 5 miles (8 kilometers) per hour. More than250 people are killed and almost 4,000 seriously injured in citytraffic crashes each year, according to a memo by the bill'ssponsor, Senator Jeffrey Klein, a Bronx Democrat.

“One particularly powerful tool is the ability to establish a 25mph speed limit in the city, which can be the catalyst in curbingdangerous driver behavior,” the memo said.

De Blasio, 53, who took office in January as the first Democratto lead the metropolis in two decades, wants to end pedestriantraffic deaths. Lowering the speed limit is a key component of hisVision Zero plan, which also includes public outreach and enhancedpolice enforcement. In April, the legislature approved his plan toadd 120 speed cameras in school zones.

Lowering the limit to 25 mph would reduce the chance offatalities in accidents involving pedestrians to 10% from 20%, thememo said.

Vision Zero is modeled on a program in Sweden, where a lawadopted by the parliament in 1997 sets the goal for trafficfatalities at zero. Since its adoption, traffic engineers havereworked roadways to limit the danger of human error and trafficfatalities have been cut in half, the New York Times reported lastmonth.

A companion measure in the Democratic-controlled Assembly isbacked by Sheldon Silver of Manhattan, who leads the chamber. Thelegislature is scheduled to end its annual session tomorrow.

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