If you’re heading out through Niagara-on-the-Lake’s farmlands this week in your vehicle, you might want to mind your meter.

Speed limits are officially being lowered to 70 kilometres an hour from 80 km/h on all the rural roads the town owns, starting the week of Aug. 25, in an effort to prevent injuries and deaths on the road.

Town staff will install the 70 km/h signs and Niagara Regional Police will begin enforcing the new speed limit once the signs are up.

Council voted in July to make the maximum speed limit allowed on town-owned rural roads 70 kilometres and to lower the posted limits of 80 km/h to 70 km/h.

A media release from the town issued Aug. 21 states that this is part of an effort to eliminate serious injuries and deaths and make these rural roads safer for residents, cyclists, tourists and farm vehicles.

This effort, led by Niagara Region, is called the Vision Zero Road Safety Program.

The town will get $134,484 from the regional program, which it is to use for road safety projects and initiatives, according to the town’s recommendation report on the speed limit change.

Replacing the signs will cost the town around $33,000, which will be paid for through the money it receives from the Vision Zero program.

In the media release, chief administrative officer Nick Ruller cites research collected by town staff that shows that a 10 per cent drop in speed can reduce fatal collisions by up to 40 per cent.

“Bringing forward opportunities like this helps council make informed decisions that strengthen safety and quality of life for everyone in Niagara-on-the-Lake,” he said.

The full media release is available on the town’s website.