Car Accidents > News
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Government Pushes For 20mph Zones Without Speed Bumps
Mon, 21 Dec 2009

The Government has announced new proposals to encourage the wider use of 20 mph speed limit zones in a bid to reduce road casualties.

Under the plans, announced by Road Safety Minister Paul Clark, local councils will be allowed to bring in 20mph zones on residential streets and roads near schools, shops and parks where physical traffic calming measures such as speed bumps are not possible or practical.

Mr Clark said that although the number of people killed and seriously injured on UK roads has fallen by 40 per cent since the mid-1990s, there are still too many people being killed or hurt on the roads around their homes and schools.

"We have seen that 20 mph zones with traffic calming measures can make a real difference to the safety of local roads," he explained.

"Allowing councils to put in place 20 mph speed limits on more streets without speed humps or chicanes will mean that they can introduce them at a lower cost and with less inconvenience to local residents."

The move follows a trial scheme on roads in Portsmouth and comes after a recent report published in the British Medical Journal claimed that existing 20mph zones in London have led to a 40 per cent reduction in the number of road-related deaths and injuries in the city.

The report said the capital's 20mph zones were particularly useful in saving young children from death and injury and called for the introduction of more 20mph zones in London and in similar metropolitan areas.
add to favouritesnewsletterlink to this pagesend to friendpost comments

Link to this page

Copy and Paste the following HTML into your page.