In 2018, 1137 people were killed or seriously injured in collisions on Welsh roads, 80 of these were children. The largest proportion of these serious or fatal casualties occurred on roads with a 30mph speed limit.
There is overwhelming evidence that lower speeds result in fewer collisions and a reduced severity of injuries; and consistent evidence that casualties are reduced when 20mph limits are introduced. Mark Drakeford, First Minister for Economy and Transport, said: ‘We know that 20mph zones reduce speed of traffic, reduce accidents – particularly accidents to children – and we want to see that become the default position right across Wales.’
Presently just 1% of the Welsh urban road network is 20mph. Having to make the case to lower the speed limit for every small scheme is inefficient and slow and will never achieve widespread change in driver behaviour.
The Wales 20mph Task Force Group, chaired by PJA’s Phil Jones, was formed on the direction of Lee Waters, the Deputy Minister for Economy and Transport, in May 2019. Task Force Group members included representatives of local government and transport providers as well as experienced campaigners such as Rod King MBE, founder of 20’s Plenty for Us, and experts such as Adrian Davis advising on best practice to help pave the way for this national law change.
The Groups’ objective was to identify the outcomes which would be expected from changing the default speed limit for restricted roads in Wales to 20mph; and the practical actions needed to implement this change.
The Group’s report included findings from international research showing that a 20mph limit on most urban roads and streets will result in fewer collisions and casualties. It also found that the lower speed limit will lead over time to more walking and cycling, improvements in air quality and improved noise levels.
On 15 July 2020, in a world first, the Welsh Parliament voted 45 to 6 in favour of accepting all 21 recommendations of the Task Force Group to reduce the default speed limit for restricted roads in Wales to 20mph.
The new speed limit will apply to roads with street lights at least every 200 yards and is expected to become law by April 2023. It will not be a blanket 20mph, as higher limits will be appropriate on some lit roads – and the Task Force developed a GIS system to enable authorities to quickly identify them – but the vast majority of urban roads will see the new limit. This will enable a rapid roll out of 20mph limits with authorities only having to identify the relatively few exceptions to the rule, thus helping to encourage walking and cycling as sustainable modes of transport quickly and over wide areas.
Lee Waters, the Deputy Minister for Economy and Transport, said: “The investment will reap rewards. Lives saved, costly accidents prevented, mental and physical health improved and the more intangible but equally valuable community fabric strengthened. I am hugely grateful to Phil Jones for leading this substantial piece of work over the last year, systematically identifying the barriers to implementing this significant change…”
The campaign for 20mph default limit was supported by numerous Welsh organisations and NGOs including the Institute for Welsh Affairs, Public Health Wales, Sustrans Cymru, Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, Living Streets Cymru and BRAKE.
The significance of the change being made in Wales should not be underestimated. No country has previously chosen to reduce the default speed limit for urban areas to 20mph and there will be global interest in learning from and building on Wales’ experience.
The report from the Welsh 20mph Task Force Group can be read here.
For more information, please contact [email protected]
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