Wales: Government’s 20mph policy slammed by Asghar
According to the RAC’s 2022 Report on Motoring, just under half of British motorists who broke the speed limit in 20mph zones claim it happened as the limit was “inappropriate for that particular road”. Almost a quarter explained it by saying they “feel pressure from other drivers behind”.
Now, a fresh Government report has revealed that 85 percent of car traffic exceeded the speed limit when in a 20mph zone.
The data comes just weeks before the default speed limit will fall from 30mph to 20mph in built-up areas across Wales, on September 17.
The Welsh Government has defended the new legislation, claiming it will “reduce the number of collisions and severe injuries from them”.
It also explained air pollution will improve because the limits will “encourage more people to walk and cycle in our communities”, meaning there will be “fewer polluting cars on the road”.
READ MORE: Fury over ‘madcap’ 20mph zones as Welsh Labour accused of being ‘anti-driver’
Nevertheless, almost a quarter of RAC respondents said it was “sometimes safe to go faster than the applicable speed limit” when excusing their speeding.
The RAC has also claimed new 20mph zones “led to minimal change in short or long-term outcomes for road traffic collisions, casualties, or speeding”, drawn from a university study in Belfast.
However, it showed there was a “significant decrease” in traffic volume, with 166 fewer vehicles per week observed during the morning rush hour.
This latest report comes amid Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s plans to scrap green policies.
Following the Tories’ surprise Uxbridge by-election victory, Mr Sunak quickly ordered a review into LTNs (Low Traffic Neighbourhoods), after it emerged the vote was swung by voters’ concerns on Sadiq Khan’s upcoming ULEZ expansion.
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Mr Sunak told the Telegraph he was “on [drivers’] side” and described his disdain for “anti-motorist policies”.
Meanwhile, more Government data shows the average speed of motorcyclists was higher than the speed limit on all but one type of road.
They were also consistently faster than all other vehicles. The average speed of a motorbike on a motorway was 71mph, while they hit an average of 28mph in 20mph zones.
Motorcycles also had a concerning collision statistic. In 2021, 22 percent of fatal collisions involving a motorcycle were deemed to have involved speeding, a figure much higher than cars at 11 percent
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