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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Comment
Will Hayward

Wales’s 20mph speed limit saves lives and money. So why has it become a culture-war battlefield?

St Bride's Major, where Wales’s 20mph speed limit was trialled, 7 September 2023
St Bride's Major, where Wales’s 20mph speed limit was trialled, 7 September 2023. Photograph: Dimitris Legakis/Athena Pictures

Imagine you’re a politician running a country. In front of you there is a proposal that in just nine months would save your society more than £45m, prevent almost 500 people being killed or injured, make your residential areas more appealing places to live in and reduce car insurance premiums by an average of £50. Tempting, right?

Still not convinced? It is also backed by multiple scientific studies and examples of where it has been enacted in other parts of the world. Better yet, it was in your manifesto at the last election, when you became easily the largest party in your parliament. It also has the universal support of all emergency services in your nation. This is the dream.

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