seven out of 10 chauffeurs believe that a 20mph limit is required on residential streets, near schools and town centre areas. That’s according to a study by road safety charity, Brake, and Allianz Insurance.
However, the AA believes residents need to be consulted before steps are implemented. “We are emphasising the consultation process. Residents ought to be consulted before the speed limits are put in place”, an AA spokesman said.
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• speed limit increase makes roads safer
There is already a strong precedent for lower speed limits, given that Islington, in North London already operates a borough broad 20mph limit and Camden, another North London borough, is currently in the implementation phase. recently released statistics also show a 54 per cent decline in collisions in Camden’s 20mph zones.
In the same Brake survey, 72 per cent people said roads in their towns and villages need to be made safer for walking and cycling, while 81 per cent believed that traffic travels too fast on their local roads.
• chauffeurs choosing speed awareness course over points
The charity is now calling for national government support in introducing these measures, with proposals set to go to Parliament.
But the issue isn’t clear-cut. The AA points out that 75 per cent of the people surveyed said that 20mph limits ought to not be in place on roads where there are no houses, schools and shops. Meanwhile, 8 per cent wanted speed information displays (flashing speed cautioning signs), which may point to a belief that it’s harder to adhere to 20mph limit.