UK Road Speed Limits To Change Again

In September last year, residential roads in Wales had their speed limits reduced from 30mph to 20, which caused a huge outcry from the public

The Welsh government defined a restricted road as “roads with street lights spaced no more than 200 yards apart, usually located in residential and built-up areas.”

It had claimed that lowering the speed limit would reduce the number of collisions and severe injuries from them, and would encourage people to walk and cycle instead of driving.

The 20mph speed limit had been trialled in eight areas around Wales to help overcome any issues prior to the national rollout. The pilot areas were:

  • Abergavenny, Monmouthshire
  • Central North Cardiff
  • Severnside, Monmouthshire
  • Buckley, Flintshire
  • Cilfriw Village, Neath and Port Talbot
  • St Dogmaels, Pembrokeshire
  • St Brides Major, Vale of Glamorgan
  • Llanelli North, Camarthenshire

After the blanket speed limit reduction, a petition was created to oppose it, and was signed by almost half a million people.

In response to this, Transport Secretary for the Welsh government, Ken Skates said:

“We’ve put our hands up to say the guidance has to be corrected. This will enable councils to revert back those routes that are not appropriate.

Whether the change will be radical will largely depend on what people want.”

More details of the return to 30mph speed limits are due to be revealed tomorrow, and it seems likely the 20mph limit will remain in force near schools and hospitals.

This has been done in Birmingham where I live, and I have no issues with it at those locations.

Of course, those in favour of upping the war on the motorist oppose this, and say it will be too expensive to revert to 30mph.

Other loations ripe for reduced speed limits

It was mooted last year by Birmingham City Council to introduce a blanket 20mph speed limit across the whole city, but I’ve heard nothing since, and there are proposals to introduce 40 miles of extra 20mph zones across London starting in September, as part of London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s “Vision Zero” goal.

This is his idea to ‘eliminate death and serious injury on the capital’s roads’, as well as make it safer and more appealing to walk or cycle instead of driving.

The areas affected will be Greenwich, Kensington, Chelsea, Lewisham, Southwark, Wandsworth, Merton, Bromley and Lambeth.

I would hope similar petitions will arise in these areas, but as Sadiq Khan is a globalist puppet, he will likely ignore them.

See more here carwow.co.uk and here carwow.co.uk

About the author: Andy Rowlands is a university graduate in space science and British Principia Scientific International researcher, writer and editor who co-edited the new climate science book, ‘The Sky Dragon Slayers: Victory Lap

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Comments (5)

  • Avatar

    Peter F Gill

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    If it were not a tragedy with respect to (or in my case a lack of respect) smart (read dumb) motorways, apparent concentration on “Road Safety” by reducing speed limits to 20mph would be exposed as having a different agenda. By the way, if the new Highway Code rules were to actually be applied in London the capital would come to a grinding halt. In fact to do this only two of the rules need to be policed (1) cyclists must be given 5 foot clearance by overtaking cars and other motor driven vehicles and (2) any vehicle wishing to turn left must stop and not do so until anyone at such a junction who may wish to cross has done so. No prizes for estimating the number of rear shunts that this will cause.

    Reply

  • Avatar

    Ken Hughes

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    “Make it more appealing to walk or cycle” – equals – “Make it more inconvenient to drive”.
    This is a deliberate action to impede legal progress along the highway, and so, is unlawful.

    Reply

  • Avatar

    Typhus

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    Just another opportunity to flex muscle and suppress the population.

    Folks Must practice Civil Disobedience all across the western world.

    Really. The People throughout .gov at all levels must summarily be removed.

    Reply

  • Avatar

    VOWG

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    Did anyone actually drive 20?

    Reply

  • Avatar

    Jerry Krause

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    Hi Andy,

    I now live on a major cross-town street which was ‘modernized’ about 2 decades ago. The previous street was widen to make 3 traffic lanes (one one each direction with a center left hand turn lane. The traffic lanes have an about six feet wide bicycle line beside the respective traffic lane. The majority of 17th is residental with small short business district where there are ‘stoplights. The posted speed limit is 25 mph. And during the day when the street is busy most cars cannot reach this limit.

    However, I am old and go to bed at 8pm and often wake-up at 3 or 4am. And the majority of the few cars at dark appears to be traveling near the limit. All big trucks travel near the limit because they have learned they will be stopped by the lights if they don’t. But there is a period between 6 and 8am when more, not a majority, significantly exceed 25mph. I conclude there are not more speeders because the get behind a car traveling little more than 25, or they are stopped by the traffic lights when they greatly exceed the limit

    Maybe the British need to come to Salem, OR USA to see how this system works.

    Have a good day

    Reply

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