Reducing the speed limit on Welsh roads from 30mph to 20mph will result in slower driving speeds yet have a minimal impact on journey times, a new Welsh Government report has claimed. An interim monitoring report has been published on Friday morning - exactly six months before a new default limit is applied in Wales on September 17.
On that day, the Welsh Government will introduce a 20mph speed limit on restricted roads across the country - including those with street lights placed no more than 200 yards apart which are usually located in residential and built-up areas. It's fair to say that the change has not gone down well with all motorists - you can read some people's issues with the plans here. You can get the latest WalesOnline newsletters e-mailed to you directly for free by signing up here.
The Senedd passed The Restricted Roads (20 mph Speed Limit) (Wales) Order last year, making Wales one of the first countries in the world - and the first in the UK - to have 20mph speed limits on roads routinely used by motorists, pedestrians and cyclists. The Welsh Government has said that it does recognise that “not all roads currently at 30mph will be suitable to change to 20mph - these roads will be known as exceptions”.
Read more: Welsh Government's own report says 20mph speed limit could cost economy billions
The new report looking at the impact of the speed limit reduction used data gathered from eight ‘first phase areas’ - St Dogmaels in Pembrokeshire, Llanelli North, St Brides Major in Vale of Glamorgan, Central North (Cardiff), Cilfrew Village in Neath Port Talbot, Abergavenny and Severnside in Monmouthshire, and Buckley in Flintshire - which all saw 20mph limits put in place between July 2021 and May 2022. According to the Welsh Government, evidence gathered showed that the change in speed limit will result in "a number of benefits including a reduction in road collisions and serious injury, more people walking and cycling and improvements to health and wellbeing”.
The report also found that drivers were travelling at an average of 3mph slower across the eight ‘first phase areas’, while in St Brides Major and St Dogmaels the number of people driving at or below 24mph increased from 23% to 45% and from 54% to 84% respectively. It is also hoped that the speed limit change will see an increase in the amount of children walking or cycling to school. The report stated that schools in 20mph areas have seen a greater increase in active travel journeys (journeys made in physically active ways) compared to schools predominantly in 30mph areas.
“This latest data is already showing the benefits we can expect to see across Wales thanks to the bold move we are taking to lower the default speed limits later this year,” said the Welsh Government’s deputy minister for climate change, Lee Waters, who added that a national communications campaign to help communities get ready for the change has now been launched. "Decisions like this can be unpopular and we know that change is never easy, however, evidence from around the world is clear – reducing speed limits save lives. We have made progress on reducing deaths and serious injuries on our roads over the 21 years of devolution, but we still need to do more to make the communities we work and live in safer. A reduction to 20mph on our residential and other busy pedestrian urban roads has to be the way forward.”
Joshua James, public affairs manager at Living Streets Cymru, said: “Introducing 20mph as the default speed on our streets will improve the places where we live, work and go to school – and it will also save lives. “We are pleased to be working with the Welsh Government to ensure that our streets and pavements are safe and accessible for everyone in our communities, so that more people feel encouraged to walk or cycle.”
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