Keep Our Children Safe - GO20

There are three national speed limits set by the UK Government:  
  • 30 mph on lit roads (sometimes referred to as Restricted Roads)
  • 60 mph on single carriageways
  • 70 mph on dual carriageways and motorways 
Local authorities can, at their discretion, set road speed limits at 20mph, 40mph and 50mph, as they see fit. Wiltshire residents' experience of local Highways' discretionary setting of speed limits is one of totally inconsistent speeds being set all over the county, including many changes in speed along one stretch of road. This leads to motorists ignoring the lower speed limits and continuing to drive at the higher speed along the same stretch of road.

As the level of policing on our roads and the number of working speed cameras further diminish, it is even more vital for Wiltshire Council to set speed limits responsibly, and to listen to residents' concerns when they are not.

The government's drive to reduce road accidents (vehicle and pedestrian) is tied into the adoption of the 20mph speed limit in cities and urban areas. Why, then, is Wiltshire Council's Highways determined to keep road speeds high, as is the case in Leap Gate (50mph)? 

RoSPA's Policy Position on 20mph Speed Limits - "20mph zones are very effective at preventing injuries and RoSPA would like to see their wider use in residential areas.

20mph zones significantly decrease the risk of being injured in a collision and their greater use, especially in residential areas, would help to reduce the number of traffic injuries in the UK.

20mph zones, are designed to be "self-enforcing" due to traffic calming measures which are introduced along with the change in the speed limit. Speed humps, chicanes, road narrowing, planting and other measures are typically used to both physically and visually reinforce the shared nature of the road".

More than half of the 40 largest urban authorities in the UK have a policy of setting 20mph as the default for all their roads, so why not Wiltshire Council? List below...

 

London

Camden, City of London, Croydon, Ealing, Greenwich, Hackney, Haringey, Hammersmith & Fulham, Hounslow, Islington, Lambeth, Lewisham, Southwark, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest, Wandsworth

South West

Bath & NE Somerset, Bristol, Limpley Stoke, Tregony, Westbourne

South East

Brighton & Hove, Chichester, Oxford, Portsmouth, Southampton, Whitchurch (Hants)

North West

Bolton, Bury, Cheshire West & Chester, City of Manchester, Lancashire, Liverpool, Middleton, Rochdale, Sefton, St Helens, Warrington, Wigan

North East

Darlington, Middlesbrough, Newcastle upon Tyne, West Midlands, City of Birmingham, Coventry 

East Midlands

Leicester, Nottingham, Yorkshire & the Humber, Calderdale, Sheffield, Shipley, York

East of England

Cambridge, Fressingfield, Otley 

Wales

City of Cardiff 

Scotland

Edinburgh, Glasgow City

If Wiltshire Council still refuses to listen to residents regarding the extension of the 30mph speed limit to the end of the row of houses facing Leap Gate, and to lower the speed limit along the remaining stretch to West Ashton Road from 50mph to 40mph or less, then we will be pushing for the adoption of 20mph speed limits on all residential roads. If we need to, we will get help and advice from the various organisations and councils which have successfully implemented the lower speed limit on their roads.

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