Most people already personally know someone injured in a road crash.
20mph is not a silver bullet- it is a basic plank of road safety just like people wearing seatbelts in cars.
It is proven to reduce the frequency and severity of crashes. Speed limits need to be judged not only in the context of what is safe, but also what makes for a liveable city in terms of noise, tailpipe and brake dust emissions, ease of crossing roads, pleasantness of being on the pavements and so on.
The remaining 30mph roads are largely single carriageways with homes and businesses each side, schools on or very near them and often in busy pedestrian areas. For example:
- Outside Widcombe Junior School (A36)
- Along Bear Flat High Street (Wellsway A367)
- Both sides of Newbridge Primary School (A4 and A431)
You can view a map here to view what little is left to do to create a 20mph city. We will look back on 30mph in urban areas just like smoking in pubs, and be shocked at how long we tolerated the prioritising of speed over safety.
Enough is enough.