Perspectives on Blanket 20mph Limits
In this section we offer a range of perspectives on being forced to drive at 20mph:
- The Mind Driving Perspective
- A Drivers Perspective
- The Perspective Of A Driver Visiting Wales
- The Perspective of the Alliance Of British Drivers
- A Driving Examiners Perspective
- A Petition Giving Reasons to Stop the Unreasonable Reduction of the UK Speed Limit to 20mph
- Article: Heres Why 20mph Limits Dont Make Sense.
To begin with, however, we publish below an article from 20/8/24 by Dylan Difford based on a You Gov survey. The article is headed
Seven in ten Welsh people oppose the default 20mph speed limit, with four in ten drivers saying they regularly break it
QUOTING THE ARTICLE DIRECTLY:
“Usually, the biggest political controversies are stirred over the largest political issues – the handling of the economy, the state of the health service, the future of immigration. In Wales, however, one of the most significant political stories since the last Senedd election has been around a minor policy area – speed limits.
In 2022, the Welsh Labour government, with the support of Plaid Cymru, introduced a policy that reduced speed limits in built-up areas from 30mph to 20mph, taking effect last September. Their hope was that the plan would reduce collisions, cut noise and encourage more to use alternative modes of transport. But the policy has become a rallying point for Labour’s opponents, particularly the Conservatives, who are hoping to dislodge Labour from government at the next Senedd election in 2026.
The ability of the opposition to gain support from the 20mph policy is hardly surprising – seven in ten (72%) say they oppose the new limit, including half (50%) saying they ‘strongly’ oppose it. This compares to only a quarter of the Welsh public (24%) supporting the policy.
Opposition for the policy is widespread, with opponents outnumbering supporters among every part of the Welsh public. It is strongest among Conservative and Reform UK voters, nine in ten of whom oppose a uniform 20mph limit, but also holds only limited support among voters for the parties that supported the policy – with 59% of Labour and 56% of Plaid voters opposed.
Such is the distaste for the new law that many Welsh people are simply disregarding it. Four in ten Welsh drivers (40%) admit to exceeding the 20mph limit ‘most’ or ‘all the time’, while a further third (33%) say they’ll occasionally go over the limit. Only 6% of drivers say they never breach the new 20mph speed limit, with another one in six (17%) saying they have only done so rarely.
Perhaps key to at least some of the widespread nature of the opposition is the fact that few Welsh people believe a reduced speed limit actually achieves many of its supposed improvements. Excluding making it safer for pedestrians, which half of Welsh people (48%) believe it does, the idea that the new 20mph limit has improved things finds little support.
As many Welsh people (28%) believe the new limit worsens safety for drivers as improves it, with four in ten (38%) viewing it as having made no difference. A similar story is true when it comes to reducing noise in residential areas, with one in five (20%) thinking the change has yielded benefits, 22% feeling it has worsened the situation, while a majority (53%) think it has again made little difference either way.
When it comes to air quality, though, twice as many believe the new speed limit has made matters worse (32%) than made things better (16%), even if more (41%) still believe it has ultimately made no difference.
Another issue with the policy in practice is that 60% of the Welsh public say that it is unclear which roads the new limit applies to, with only 37% saying they find the distinction clear.”
OTHER PERSPECTIVES
The Mind Driving Perspective On 20mph Speed Limits
In the section “All About Crashes” we noted that that the risk of crashing is a function of three factors which must be kept in balance:
The Mind Driving Risk Model teaches that emphasis on speed in isolation leads drivers to wrongly assess risk. It destroys the possibility of achieving the balance required by the model and thereby sub-optimises safety.
The most egregious example of this is the blanket mandate for 20mph limits throughout Wales and in more and more towns, cities and villages elsewhere with no end to this lunacy currently in sight.
Otherwise safe drivers are now forced to drive with their eyes glued to their speedometers for fear of amassing fines and penalty points on their driving licence when they ought to be concentrating on the road on the lookout for Surprises.
Other drivers on 20mph roads distract them by ‘tailgating’ and reckless and impatient overtaking occurs the moment the 20mph stretch ends. Frustration and road rage is therefore common and even pedestrians complain that there are fewer gaps in the traffic in which to cross the road.
One of the most frustrating situations is the application of unreasonably low speed limits at all times of the day and night. Drivers can find themselves having to travel in this manner along clear roads with plenty of Space in front of them and zero risk of Surprises.
This can only be viewed as naked control and should exceeding the speed limit in this situation is a form of entrapment.
By crying wolf and making 20mph ubiquitous, the impact of sensible measures to encourage 20mph outside schools and a few other places at certain times of day is destroyed.
The ’20’s Plenty’ initiative must surely rank on a par with removing the hard shoulder from motorways in terms of its manifest stupidity, but that doesnt worrry the authoritarians who promote it because safety is evidently not their highest priority.
A Driver’s Perspective
This list was putforward by a diver posting on one of the many social media groups groups opposed to the blanket 20mph limit. It provides a neat summary of what many drivers are saying:
1) It is just too slow!
2) it is very easy to exceed it if you don’t watch your speedometer all the time. Safer to keep your eyes on the road.
3) Cars running slowly in lower gears actually use more fuel which adds to air pollution.
4) Anti pollution devices such as catalytic converters and particulate filters never reach their optimum working temperatures, which again adds to air pollution. Also can cause vehicle unreliability and expensive repairs.
5) Many cruise controls and speed limiters cannot be set to less than 40 kph or 25 mph.
6) The 30 mph urban speed limit was introduced in 1934, when most vehicles had inefficient cable or rod operated drum brakes, sometimes only on the rear wheels. Modern vehicles with hydraulic disk brakes and ABS can stop in a fraction of the distance.
7) it is widely disliked and brings the law into disrepute!
8) Even drivers with many years of conviction free motoring suddenly find themselves fined with penalty points for ‘speeding’ at as little as 23 mph. This is especially serious for professional drivers who risk losing their licences!
9) It apparently reduces the number of collisions but not the fatality and serious injury rate, especially for cyclists. It is difficult to safely overtake cyclists with such a small speed differential
The Perspective Of A Driver Visiting Wales
“A couple of months back I was visiting Wales for a work project. Machynlleth to be precise.
Naturally, I am more than aware of the horrendous 20mph speed limit that has been imposed in recent years. A speed limit that isn’t always obvious to visitors I might add.
However, what did take me by surprise was a stretch of road on the outskirts of town that dropped down to 10mph. It was a reasonably lengthy stretch and did not appear to be being enforced due to roadworks, resurfacing or any temporary measure.
It felt like it went on forever – as most things would do at 10mph – but I remember thinking ‘what possible good does this do?’ as it was just an innocuous run-of-the-mill stretch. Of course, it wasn’t thoroughly sign posted (if at all). It was purely my dashboard flashing up the 10mph symbol as I was concentrating on staying at 20.
In my view it’s an obvious further attempt to remove us from the roads. The public needs to protest these 20 – and now apparently 10 – mph speed limits. These ridiculous limits are killing businesses, and the right to free movement.”
A Driving Examiners Perspective
>>>>> awaiting content
The Perspective Of The Alliance Of British Drivers
I am grateful to ‘Driving Sense’ (formerly The Alliance Of British Drivers) for this Factsheet which has been adapted to include the Mind Driving Risk Model. (It can be folded for campaign groups to use it as a handy flyer).
It neatly summarises the problems with blanket 20mph limits with repect to road safety, vehicle emissions and wasted economic time
>>>> CURRENTLY BEING EDITED BELOW 22/3/25>>>>> awaiting content
A Petition to Stop the Unreasonable Reduction of the UK Speed Limit to 20mph.
The streets of Wales have recently fallen victim to a policy that seems more focused on financial gain than on public safety under a Labour council. The sudden and widespread reduction of speed limits to 20mph has been implemented without sufficient consideration for the everyday road users and commuters who depend on efficient travel. What was once an acceptable 30mph in residential areas has been slashed to a crawl, and the consequences have been largely negative.
This reduction is not truly in the interest of road safety or the residents’ well-being. Instead, many believe it is a thinly veiled attempt to generate revenue through fines and increased enforcement. Speed cameras and traffic monitoring systems are now more prevalent, leading to hefty fines for those who accidentally exceed the new, overly restrictive limits. Such measures raise the suspicion that this policy is more about money-making than meaningful traffic safety improvements.
The case of Wirral is a glaring example. Residents have only until the 25th to express their concerns about this change, a shockingly short time frame that fails to allow for proper consultation or debate. This rushed process reflects the lack of consideration given to drivers and road users who are most impacted by the change. It also highlights the broader pattern of disregarding public input in favor of policies that unfairly punish drivers.
A closer look at the statistics brings into question the necessity of this drastic change. According to a UK government report from 2018, only 15% of road accidents occurred on roads with a 30mph limit. This calls into question the reasoning behind the move to further reduce speeds. If the majority of accidents are not occurring in these zones, is there a genuine need for such a reduction? Or is it simply a tactic to pad government coffers through the exploitation of road users?
We want to be clear: this is not a plea to allow reckless driving or speeding. We are advocating for a fair and balanced approach to road safety. The 20mph limit has unfairly hindered commutes, created unnecessary frustration, and turned local streets into a trap for fines. The balance between road safety and practicality has been lost, and the resulting policy seems designed more to penalize drivers than to protect them.
By signing this petition, you are helping to voice the concerns of everyday road users. We are calling on the government to review and reconsider the imposition of these 20mph speed limits across the UK. Let’s work towards a sensible, evidence-based approach that values road safety without sacrificing practicality or unduly punishing law-abiding drivers.
Similar to Wales, under a Labour-led government, many speed limits across the country will be subject to review, beginning with the Wirral. Now is the time to unite and push back against excessive speed restrictions in areas that are neither school zones nor accident blackspots. This appears to be yet another government tactic aimed at strict enforcement, disproportionately impacting the working class by lengthening commuting times with reduced speed limits. Please sign this petition today and join the fight against an unfair, exploitative, and unnecessary speed limit reduction.
Together, we can push for a fairer system that respects drivers and ensures that our roads remain safe without being a burden.
Paul Biggs Article from i newspaper – to source as wont download
The Bottom Line – Do Not Infantilise Drivers Who You Have Licensed To Drive
Because every situation which drivers face is a unique combination of dynamic circumstances and driving conditions, the job of the driver who has earned the right to drive by passing a test to hold a full driving licence is to process information and drive accordingly. The majority of drivers can be trusted to do so
It is not the job of the State to micro-manage peoples’ driving and usurp control. Rathers drivers must be properly trained and trusted to make the right decisions in all circumstances or else identified by police patrols for appropriate remedial action which could include further training or ultimately disqualification (Reform 3).
By setting speed limits unreasonably low, the personal responsibilty for choosing a safe speed is taken away by the nanny State. Yet the driver is still held responsible when things go wrong and the State, which cannot be aware of the prevailing circumstances simply washes its hands of any responsibility. This is an intolerable situation which cannot be allowed to continue.
The bottom line is that the overwhelming majority of drivers are sensible people who can be trusted to choose a safe speed. Yet crashes still happen. How much safer would they be if the dynamics of the Risk Model had been drilled into them when learning to drive and their thinking skills explicitly tested in a driving test?
WE CAN CONCLUDE THAT AN AUTHORITARIAN WELSH LABOUR PARTY HAVE GOT THIS ISSUE SERIOUSLY WRONG JUST AS THE SNP NICOLA STURGEON GOT ALLOWING BIOLOGICAL MALES INTO WOMENS PRISIONS SERIOUSLY WRONG. SURGEON DID THE DECENT THING AND FELL ON HER SWORD. WELSH LABOUR MUST DO THE SAME
Conclusion
Obsessing About Exceeding Speed Limits Is Dangerous
It Detracts Attention From The Thinking Skills That Really Matter
And Does Drivers and Crash Victims an Enormous Disservice
Speed Kills or Better Driving Saves Lives? You Decide!