Would 20mph speed limit zone reduce road traffic accidents?

Published: 04/10/2012

English councils are being encouraged to “strongly consider” introducing a 20mph speed limit in all residential areas to help reduce road traffic accidents.

The pleas were voiced at the Liberal Democrats conference by councillor, Sarah Osborne. There are more than 600 fatalities and 12,000 serious injuries each year on 30mph roads accounting for more than half of the overall total of road traffic accidents.

“Getting safely to school or the shops should not be a lottery,” stated Ms. Osborne. “Every child deserves a safe route to school.”

She continued by saying there was “compelling evidence” that, by dropping the speed limit from 30mph to 20mph in residential areas, this could help reduce the number of road traffic accidents.

Speed limit reductions which have been trialled in some residential areas in Brighton, Oxford, Bath and Portsmouth have proved popular and “made roads safer”.

A child hit by a car travelling at 20mph is more likely to survive than at 30mph.

Content correct at time of publication