20mph zones a ‘no-brainer’ says Northern Ireland minister as speed review begins

Twenty mile per hour speed zones are a “no-brainer”, Northern Ireland’s Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins has said.

The minister was speaking as the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) launched a 14-week public consultation on a speed limit review to improve road safety.

One of the options being considered is 20mph speed limit zones, with the department claiming “communities report feeling more comfortable and connected when traffic moves at slower speeds, contributing to a stronger sense of place”.

In 2023 the Welsh Government changed the national default speed limit on restricted roads from 30mph to 20mph, but faced backlash when 60,000 people signed a petition calling for the plan to be scrapped.

On Wednesday Ms Kimmins said there has been “great success” in temporary 20 mile per hour zones outside some schools in Northern Ireland.

“The figures have shown that the difference in speed is a really important factor,” she said.

“If a child is hit by a car at 30mph, they have a 50% chance of survival. If a child is hit by a car at 20mph, they have a 90% chance of survival.

“That’s nine children out of 10 that are more likely to survive in a collision of that nature, so for me I think that’s a no brainer.

“I think it’s critically important, and I think that it shows that it’s the strongest argument in terms of why we need to look at reducing our speed on our roads.”

Other options being considered as part of the consultation include national speed limits on single rural and dual carriageway roads, with the department claiming there is “a correlation between road deaths on rural roads and excessive speeds”.

The number of road deaths in Northern Ireland have been falling, with 57 deaths as a result of road traffic collisions in 2025, compared to 69 deaths in 2024 and 71 in 2023.

However the A5, which links Londonderry with Aughnacloy in Co Tyrone, has seen more than 50 deaths since 2006 and is one example of a road that has been continually signposted by executive parties, including Ms Kimmins’ Sinn Fein, as being in need of major upgrading.

Ms Kimmins said: “That is factored into the road safety strategy as well in terms of the need to improve our roads, it’s not the key factor that actually contributes to road traffic collisions or road deaths.

“However, we have recognised that that needs to factor in, and I think the A5 is a primary example of the importance of ensuring our roads do meet the needs of all road users and are safe for people to use as well.”

The consultation will also discuss increasing HGV speed limits.

The minister encouraged the public to “make their views known through this consultation and understand the rationale for some of the changes that we are proposing”.

“I think they will make a real difference, and they will help us to continually bring down the numbers of fatalities that we’re seeing year on year,” she said.