Welsh 20mph speed limits ‘a turning point’ says deputy minister
Mon, 04 Mar 2024
New data from Transport for Wales shows that speeds have reduced by an average of 4mph on main roads since the national rollout of the default 20mph speed limit.
This provides "clear evidence that speeds are moving in the right direction," says the Welsh Government.
Data gathered from monitoring millions of vehicles shows that the average speed has dropped from 28.9mph to 24.8mph.
Lee Waters is deputy minister for climate change, with responsibility for transport. He said the new data shows just how speeds are coming down on roads across Wales, but admitted there was more to be done.
"We’ve still got a long way to go, but it’s encouraging to see that things are moving in the right direction. Every 1mph reduction in speed makes a real difference, so this is a real turning point. The international evidence is clear – lower speeds save lives," says Waters.
The Welsh Government claimes that research shows a strong link between lowering speeds and decreasing the number of collisions and people injured. Data shows that on urban roads with low average speeds, there is an average 6% reduction in collisions per 1mph reduction in average speed.
"We know from data published by Go Safe that 97% of drivers are complying with the new slower speed limit. Behaviours and attitudes towards 20mph are beginning to change," adds Waters
Chief executive of road safety charity Brake, Ross Moorlock, said it was encouraging to see how the new 20mph speed limit in Wales has reduced overall speeds.
He hopes that governments and local authorities across the UK will take Wales’ lead and adopt 20mph as the default speed on roads where people and vehicles mix.
