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Guidance will be updated to prevent blanket use of 20MPH speed limits
12 October 2023
The government recently revealed in a new policy paper called The Plan for Drivers that guidance for councils on implementing 20MPH zones in England will be updated to prevent ‘inappropriate blanket use’.
The guidance will state that councils may only enforce the lower speed limit where there is a ‘good reason’ and it will also underline that 30MPH remains the default speed limit on urban roads.
In response, road safety charity Brake has called for the government to prioritise support for road victims and ensure that the safety of individuals and communities are at the heart of decision making.
The organisation also invited the Prime Minister and Roads Minister to participate in a conversation about speed during Road Safety Week, which the charity will host from November 19th to 25th this year. This year’s theme for the event will be ‘Let’s talk about speed’.
According to Brake, five people die in road traffic accidents in the UK every day. The latest data set from the Department for Transport shows that the number of people killed on British roads increased by 10 per cent year on year from 2021 to 2022. Furthermore, the statistics show that 303 people were killed specifically by a vehicle being driven too fast.
The charity’s National Road Victim Service received 30 per cent referral increase in 2022.
Research shows that lowering the speed limit to 20MPH reduced the number of crashes by 25 per cent, and also reduces the severity of accidents. Brake says that 20MPH should become the default speed limit on urban roads, a sentiment which is shared by the United Nations and the World Health Organisation.
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