BackLiving Streets calls on the Government to make 20mph the norm where we live, work and play
National charity Living Streets have today launched a rallying call to the Government, to introduce 20 mph speed limits where people live, work and play ahead of the government's road safety strategy.
A pedestrian hit at 20mph has a 97% chance of survival. As speeds increase that chance falls steeply, and by 35mph half of all pedestrians hit will lose their lives. 20mph is the speed at which pedestrians feel confident about crossing the road, children play outside and it is quiet enough to hold a conversation. We've known these facts for years, but there has been a shocking reluctance to spread these benefits widely enough. As a result, thousands have been killed and seriously injured unnecessarily, and many more blighted by fear of traffic around their homes.
In a new campaign that will target national government and local authorities, Living Streets is encouraging people around the country to join their campaign to save lives, and allow us all to love our streets. Local groups around the UK will be targeting their own councils to implement 20mph as the default limit for built up areas across their authorities. At a national level, the government should be taking steps to make this as easy as possible for councils to do, and Living Streets will be lobbying Ministers to make this a reality in the forthcoming national Road Safety Strategy.
And there doesn't seem to be a better time for those in power to turn words into actions than today. In 2008, the number of pedestrians killed or seriously injured on our roads dropped by 4%. Although this is progress, we know that when 20mph schemes have been introduced across Europe and the UK, they have cut the number of adult pedestrians killed or seriously injured by 50% and child pedestrians by 61%. In these schemes, the assumption is that all streets in built up areas have a 20mph limit, with exceptions made for main roads and thoroughfares.
Tony Armstrong, Chief Executive of Living Streets said:
"Reducing motor traffic speeds on our streets is the single biggest measure which will make them safe and vibrant places.
"While good progress has been made on reducing road casualties across the UK, no one should be satisfied when the equivalent of 60 classrooms full of children were seriously injured or killed on our roads last year. Current road safety proposals just don't go far enough. The Road Safety Strategy gives the Government an opportunity to make 20mph the default limit, where we live, work and play, particularly by making it as easy as possible for local authorities to implement 20mph limits. It's the most important intervention that the Government can take to save lives, and we urge them not to waste this opportunity to do just that."
Support for 20mph has increased over the past couple of years with organisations from the health to the transport sector keen for a reduction in the speed limit. There is also increased support from the general public. In 2005, the National Centre for Social Research found that 74% of people wanted 20mph in residential areas, including 72% of drivers. By cutting the speed limit, road casualties will be reduced having an immediate, massively positive impact on the local community and helping to create safe, attractive and enjoyable streets for all.
Notes to editors
For more information, please contact Anna Powell, Press Officer on 020 7377 4914, anna.powell@livingstreets.org.uk. For any out of hours press enquiries, please call 07545 209865.
Case Study: Portsmouth
In March 2008 Portsmouth became the first city in Britain to implement a 20 mph limit on almost all residential roads - in effect a default speed limit throughout the city, with exceptions for important arterial roads only. The entire cost was a mere £500,000. Prior to this, they had been planning to spend £2 million on ten targeted 20mph zones, over five years.
The police took a targeted, educational approach to enforcing the speed limit. For example, in locations where regular violations were taking place, they stopped speeding drivers and gave the option to them of attending a road safety presentation instead of receiving a £60 Fixed Penalty Notice.
Facts
- Driving at 20mph rather than 30mph reduces stopping distance by half and therefore reduces the risk of collision considerably.
(DfT, 2001, Calculation based on thinking and braking distances taken from Think! leaflet) - Two thirds of all road casualties occur on built up roads.
(DfT, 2007, Tomorrow's Roads - the second three year review) - In the UK, 20 mph zones have been found to drastically cut the number of pedestrians killed and seriously injured (KSI) on our streets. Pedestrian KSIs as a whole are reduced by 50%, and child pedestrian KSIs are reduced by 61%.
(Transport Research Laboratory, 2003, 'Review of 20 mph zones in London Boroughs) - Road deaths and injuries cost the NHS £470 million and the UK economy £18 billion every year.
(DfT, 2005, Highways Economics, Valuation of the Benefits of Prevention of Road Accidents and Casualties) - Hull City Council has introduced 20 mph zones on a quarter of its roads. This has led to a 74% reduction in the number of crashes involving child pedestrians, and a 69% reduction in child cyclist crashes in the three years since the zones' introduction, compared with the three before the speed limit changed. The overall number of collisions in Hull has been reduced by 56%, and there has been a 90% reduction in serious or fatal injury collisions.
(PACTS, 2007, Beyond 2010 - a holistic approach to road safety in Great Britain) - The Commission for Integrated Transport's 2001 study found that where cities have 20mph speed limits covering between 65% and 85% of the urban network, they are transformed "from being noisy, polluted places into vibrant, people-centred environments".
(Commission for Integrated Transport, 2001, Study of European Best Practise in the delivery of integrated transport)
Living Streets, celebrating its 80th birthday this year, is the national charity that stands up for pedestrians. With our supporters we work to create safe, attractive and enjoyable streets, where people want to walk.
We have been the national voice for pedestrians throughout our 80 year history. In the early years, our campaigning led to the introduction of the driving test, pedestrian crossings and 30mph speed limits. Since then our ambition has grown. Today we influence decision makers nationally and locally, run successful projects to encourage people to walk, and provide specialist consultancy services to help reduce congestion and carbon emissions, improve public health, and make sure every community can enjoy vibrant streets and public spaces.
For more information please visit www.livingstreets.org.uk
Published on: 07/07/2009
