A national 20mph limit will come into force in Wales from next year. A vote was held in the Senedd today (July 12) about Welsh Government plans to limit residential roads and busy pedestrian streets to 20mph which passed.
The Welsh Government say it will reduce the risk and severity of injuries as a result of collisions between vehicles and vulnerable road users; encourage more people to cycle and walk; make Wales more attractive for our communities and bring physical and mental health benefits.
There have been pilot schemes running across Wales and Senedd members voted with 39 in favour and 15 against.
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In her speech about the plans, climate change minister Julie James said: "The future of our towns and cities depends on our ability to move around sustainably and on solutions that have a positive impact on public health environment and communities.
"That is why we will use the principle that walking cycling and active travel must remain the best options for short urban journeys and a 20mph default speed limit will help achieve this. The introduction of a national 20mph limit would be an important and far reaching policy. If passed Wales would be the first country in the UK to introduce the change. We're asking you all to be part of this change and make our communities understand the wider benefits of 20mph.
"This change is a generational one and when the time to embed, it will need to be accompanied by an important communication and marketing campaign and behaviour change initiatives. Achieving behavioural change is challenging but Wales has previously shown that we can do it successfully with policies such as organ donation, the banning of smoking in public places, and limiting the use of plastic bags. It does, however, require a collaborative effort between agencies, local authorities and by communities. We need to bring speeds down."
She said there is evidence that 20mph limits lead to more people walking or cycling and she hopes it will lead to people naturally choosing those options. It is not, she said a blanket 20mph zone, but they are working with councils to pick which roads will be impacted.
Ms James said on average 80 people die on Welsh roads every year and 53% of accidents happen on 30mph, recent figures had shown.
What you need to know:
When will it come into place?
It will come into force from September 2023.
Which roads will be covered?
The legal definition where the scheme will be used is "restricted roads" they are defined in legislation as a road where there is a "system of street lighting furnished by means of lamps placed not more than 200 yards apart". The Welsh Government say the changes affect residential roads and busy pedestrian streets. The Welsh Government continues to identify the roads where speed limits will be reduced to 20mph and those which should remain at 30mph.
Does it mean speed bumps will be installed?
No, there is no plan to include traffic calming (including speed bumps) as part of the change to speed limits.
How will it be brought into force?
The Welsh Government say that now it will be up to Go Safe to work with Wales' 22 councils to establish implementation timescales but enforcement will still continue during the transition period.
How much is this scheme going to cost?
The direct financial cost is around £33 million but the Welsh Government say improved road safety resulting from a reduction in average speeds could result in a positive financial return over 30 years of around £25 million due to cost savings associated with reduced emergency services and hospital treatment. The policy could also create substantial wider economic benefits due to improved road safety (£1.4bn), environmental and health benefits from more active travel (£0.5bn) and further heretofore unquantified benefits from more vibrant and connected local economies.
Will it add lots of time to my journey?
The increase in journey time for urban travel is just 17 seconds per mile and could be less in rural areas, according to Public Health Wales.
What happens next?
Councils need traffic regulation orders to bring in 20mph zones. Ms James told the Senedd currently just 2.5% of the road network is currently 20mph, that will go up to 35% when the policy is implemented. She said instead, the default limit will be 20mph. Councils will be able to exclude certain roads via an exceptions process.
Do I get a say?
Ms James said "local knowledge is key" and "local residents will get a say in how their street should be".
Who supports it?
Public Health Wales does, saying it could have substantial health benefits. Dr Sarah J Jones, consultant in environmental public health at Public Health Wales said: "Travelling at 20 mph has been shown to reduce the risk of crashing and the severity of crashes that do still happen. It also produces less noise pollution and reduces fuel consumption. It encourages people to walk and cycle, helping to fight obesity and improve mental well-being. All of these are likely to contribute to improvements in health and reduction in the demands for health services, which will help the NHS recovery from COVID."
And in opposition?
The RAC's road safety spokesperson Simon Williams said: "Research by the RAC suggests compliance with 20mph speed limits is quite poor with an increasing number of drivers believing the limit is inappropriate for the road. Rather than setting a default 20mph limit on all restricted roads it would be better to target areas where they are most needed – for example on residential roads or in areas where there is high footfall – as opposed to main ‘arterial’ roads where there are few pedestrians.
"However, even if compliance with new 20mph limits is poor, it should lead to an overall reduction in speeds which will have a positive effect on road safety. Better still, would be to enforce existing limits regularly to encourage drivers to slow down and to modify roads to prevent drivers from going too fast in the first place, for example by constructing traffic islands, well-designed speed humps or chicanes."
The Welsh Conservatives say speed limits should be set by local councils, not the Senedd. Welsh Shadow Minister for Transport, Natasha Asghar MS, said a blanket roll-out "is quite frankly ludicrous".
"Speed limits like this should be decided by councils in their local areas, not top-down by Labour ministers. Let’s give local people the power over their communities, the very people who know their roads best."
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