Drivers could see national speed limits reduced as road safety experts call for tougher rules to reduce road casualties. At the Transport Committee this week, Dan Campsall, chairman of Agilysis, said Labour Party government ministers would need to go much further than the current Road Safety Strategy allows.
Expert Testimony to Transport Committee
Campsall told MPs: "It is hard to see that the measures that are currently in the strategy will be sufficient, and it is likely that further work will be required with consideration of some other policy measures." His organisation's modelling found that introducing guidance similar to Wales' default 20mph limits in built-up areas could reduce casualties in England by between 10 and 15 per cent.
Public Support for Lower Rural Speed Limits
Sarah Whitebread, head of policy and public affairs at Cycling UK, told MPs: "We have done some YouGov polling on this, and it has huge public support, with an overwhelming 78 per cent or 79 per cent supporting lowering speed limits on single-carriageway rural roads when they are passing through villages or where they are narrow and winding."
Criticism of Current Strategy
Kate Carpenter, vice-president of the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation, described Labour's casualty reduction target as "aspirational". The panel criticised the lack of resources to advance the Road Safety Strategy, with Ms Whitebread telling MPs: "There is no funding allocated specifically for road safety."
Call for Cross-Departmental Action
Ms Whitebread said: "We need to bring all these Departments together to really embed the safe system. We still do not yet know the make-up of that board or when it is first going to meet. We need to see rapid progress on these things if we are going to meet the strategy."
Current Speed Limit Rules
The following speed limits apply to all single and dual carriageways with street lights, unless there are signs showing otherwise: 30 miles per hour (48km/h) in England, Scotland or Northern Ireland and 20 miles per hour (32km/h) in Wales. Local councils can set their own speed limits in certain areas, and these must be clearly signed. For example, 20mph zone in a built-up area near a school and 50mph (rather than 60mph) limit on a stretch of road with sharp bends.
