Drivers demand thousands of 20mph limits are axed

Around 1,500 stretches of Welsh roads could beryllium considered to person velocity limits enactment backmost to 30mph a twelvemonth aft they were reduced to 20mph, BBC probe shows.

More than 10,500 requests person been received by Welsh councils from residents to reassess roads that saw their bounds lowered erstwhile the argumentation was introduced successful September past year.

Police constituent to a driblet successful roadworthy causalities and crashes to suggest Wales' flagship argumentation is working, though a caller canvass said 7 successful 10 radical inactive reason the caller limit.

One motoring organisation has said postulation calming measures similar velocity bumps should beryllium installed to unit drivers to bash 20mph.

Now the BBC tin uncover authorties person received much than 10,500 requests to see changing astir 1,500 stretches of roadworthy backmost to 30mph from 20mph.

The Welsh authorities said it expected astir changes to beryllium connected main A and B roads "which are typically main oregon strategical roads" and "away from places that pull predominant pedestrians".

Newport had by acold the astir requests to rise velocity limits from 20mph with 3,500 appeals from section residents for 334 locations to spell backmost to 30mph.

Police person said enforcement is simply a past resort, with the velocity enforcement threshold higher successful Wales than England.

"Our preferred result is drivers are not fined, not getting points connected their licence and seeing the benefits of little speeds successful the close areas," said Ch Insp Gareth Morgan of South Wales Police.

Speed thresholds successful the UK are usually 10% higher than the velocity limit, positive 2mph - truthful successful England, the prosecution threshold for 20mph is 24mph.

But successful Wales, the tolerance for 20mph is up to 26mph during a "transition period" for motorists successful Wales.

"We've got to marque allowances for radical who are trying to bash the close happening and were fractionally implicit the limit," added Ch Insp Morgan.

The 26mph threshold has been reviewed by GoSafe - a assemblage made up of Wales' 22 councils, 4 constabulary forces and the Welsh Government - this period and volition stay until astatine slightest March.

"We'll spot however postulation is behaving, and if we spot there's an statement to bring it and those speeds down further successful March, we will," said Teresa Ciano of GoSafe.

Motoring lawyer Jonathan Wilkins says the quality successful tolerance levels betwixt Wales and England tin "cause existent confusion".

But Ch Insp Morgan said: "The instrumentality is inactive 20mph careless of whether it's a 4mph oregon 6mph allowance."

Statistics estimation 95% of those 28,272 drivers monitored successful August connected 20mph roads were complying with the enforcement threshold.

That information is drivers doing 26mph oregon nether successful Wales but 1 roadworthy information and driving standards foundation is calling connected authorities to present postulation calming measures.

"The driblet successful the mean velocity is welcome, but you thin not to spot radical going 20mph," said Nicholas Lyes IAM RoadSmart.

"If the bounds is 20mph, radical should beryllium going nary faster than 20mph. When we look astatine compliance levels, a important proportionality are going faster. It's a flimsy concern.

"You request due backing to instrumentality safer infrastructure, including postulation calming measures specified arsenic velocity humps and chicanes. Ultimately that'll beryllium a immense power connected operator behaviour.

"We person to marque definite that pedestrians and cyclists are harmless arsenic good truthful that would see things similar protected rhythm lanes."

Statistics show a driblet successful casualties connected 20mph and 30mph roads successful Wales successful the archetypal 3 months of 2024, aft the default built-up country bounds was reduced.

The fig of superior casualties oregon fatalities has dropped 23%, and Wales' largest constabulary unit says determination person been astatine slightest 11 little deaths connected the roads successful their area.

"There were astir 100 deaths connected Welsh roads each day, which is acold excessively many," said Ch Insp Morgan.

"We needed to alteration thing to bring that fig down.

"It's aboriginal days but the fig of collisions has reduced and wherever determination were 35 fatalities successful the South Wales Police unit country past year, we're astir a 3rd down year-on-year.

"That's 11 oregon 12 little bereavements, 11 oregon 12 less families who haven't had to spell done the trauma of losing a loved one.

"There's a important alteration and shows slower speeds are safer. It's a affirmative impact."

A recent YouGov poll claimed 7 successful 10 radical successful Wales inactive reason the caller default bounds successful built-up areas with 4 successful 10 drivers saying they regularly interruption it.

The absorption Conservative enactment privation to reverse Wales' 20mph velocity bounds argumentation and Wales' caller First Minister Eluned Morgan has admitted the rollout created problems.

But the Welsh Labour authorities accidental they person nary volition of scrapping it though they did update their guidance for section highways teams.