It's a non-event - the average speed in London has always been 8mph, ever since the horse-drawn era !!

I think 20mph limits on low-use (back street, not busy roads) residential roads is useful when looking at a safety (children playing/the elderly) POV, however reducing limits everywhere at all times of the day are, in my view, not always warranted.

Given new technology, maybe variable speed limits in such areas (including near schools/retirement homes/community centres and even shopping areas) would be more effective, especially if they showed common sense (e.g. having a 30 or 40mph limit on roads deserted at night in non-residential areas, reduced to 20 or 30 during busy [both vehicles and pedestrians] periods). Any speed cameras (only installed where needed and make a difference) could change their triggering speeds accordingly like they do on the M25 between the M4 & M40.

I do still subscribe to the view that the policies of several governements to reduce the number of traffic police was wrong, as careless/dangerous/reckless driving can be all to easily "got away with" nowadays and, with the media portraying such driving as cool (often associated with the "hero" winning the day), regarded as "normal". Drivers should always drive at a speed relevant to the conditions of the road, including the area that the road is going through. If speed limits reflected this view (hence why I think variable ones would be good), more people would bother to obey them as they weren't there as a money-making wheeze from cameras making people drop to 30mph at 2am when you could do 40 safely.

Residential roads and roads on industrial estates - excellent idea for the safety of all

Main roads - stupid idea, action is needed to speed up traffic, to cut journey times and make business more effiicient

I saw this in action in Islington a couple of weeks ago,it was a Sunday, traffic was light and it took flipping ages to progress my journey. Utter frustration. Cameras aplenty - the waste of public money in setting up and enforcing this scheme must be staggering, no doubt the locals love it because non locals travelling through the area will be main victims. The money would be better spent taking someone off the dole and benefits and asking them to count the leaves on trees.