20 the new 30 as public supports speed reductions

Published: 02/03/2012

The British public are in favour of 20mph speed limits in residential areas, according to new research by road safety charity, Sustrans.

70 per cent of those surveyed claimed they would support the 10mph speed reduction in an attempt to improve road safety.

31 per cent of all pedestrian casualties and 13 per cent of all cycling casualties were children aged 0 – 15 years old¹. According to the Department for Transport’s Reported Road Casualties 2010 Annual Report, 7929 child pedestrians were injured as a result of a road traffic accident, 26 of which resulted in fatalities.

The majority of those questioned in the poll deemed urban roads as “unsafe to cycle on”. 65 per cent who do not cycle claimed they would if more cycle lanes were introduced and other road users drove more carefully.

Malcolm Shepherd is Sustrans’ Chief Executive:

“This is yet another wake-up call for politicians who must act now to save lives and take the fear out of everyday journeys.

“People want to cycle more for every day journeys and they want a twenty mile per hour speed limit in their neighbourhood. Ministers must invest in making our streets safer for cyclists, pedestrians and drivers.”²

¹ Department for Transport’s Reported Road Casualties 2010 Annual Report
² LocalGov (Feb 2012)

Content correct at time of publication