The Scottish Greens have claimed lives will be saved by the planned rollout of 20mph zones across Scotland.
The speed limit will be established in all “appropriate roads” in built-up areas by 2025.
Green MSP Mark Ruskell, who has been campaigning on the issue for years, said every council in Scotland was now finalising its plans.
He said 20mph zones - which the Greens pushed for in its power-sharing agreement with the SNP at Holyrood - will make streets safer as this week marks Global Road Safety Week.
Some 140 people were killed on Scotland’s roads in 2021, with a further 1615 suffering serious injury.
In Wales, politicians have signed off a new national 20mph speed limit set to be introduced in September.
Ruskell said: “A few years ago I led the campaign to introduce 20mph speed limits across Scotland’s built-up areas.
“The progress being made on this today will be felt for generations, as lives are saved and the streets where we live, work and play are transformed into safer, more liveable spaces.
“In the Bute House Agreement we pledged to make all appropriate roads in built up areas 20mph by 2025, and every Scottish council is now finalising plans to implement that.”
He added: “Progress is being made up and down the country from the Borders to Shetland.
“Twenty miles per hour speed limits are the simplest, quickest and cheapest way to reduce casualties and save lives.
“I’m delighted that with Scottish Greens in government we’re making it a reality.”
It comes after the Highlands became the first council to roll out the policy across its entire region, encompassing 130 towns and villages.
Most roads in Edinburgh are already 20mph, while Glasgow recently set out their plans to follow suit.
The most likely cause of death for UK kids aged 11 to 16 not attributed to disease is from road accidents.
A 2018 study by the Glasgow Centre for Population Health (GCPH) study found road casualties could be reduced by over 10 per cent if speed limits in residential and urban areas were slashed from 30mph to 20mph.
That in turn would save emergency services about £40million a year, researchers claimed.
In London, 20mph zones have led to a 42 per cent reduction in casualties compared with other areas of the city.
However, opponents have criticised the “blanket approach” of SNP-Green chiefs - and insist local authorities should be allowed to make decisions for their own areas on speed limits.
Scottish Conservative shadow transport minister Graham Simpson said: "Councils are best placed to decide what is appropriate for their own areas.
"The Greens' blanket approach is completely wrong. Twenty miles per hour will be the right approach in some streets but not others."
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