Scottish ministers urged to follow Wales’ ‘lifesaving’ 20mph speed limit
Scottish ministers are being urged to learn lessons from Wales’s introduction of a “lifesaving” default 20mph speed limit.
Green transport spokesperson Mark Ruskell made the plea after figures from Wales showed a drop in casualties on 20mph and 30mph roads in the first three months of 2024, after the lower default speed limit was introduced.
The number of cases of people being killed or seriously injured on roads with either a 20mph limit or a 30mph limit fell to 78 in the first three months of 2024 – a drop of 23% on the total of 101 that was recorded in the first three months of last year.
Voted down
The then-transport secretary Michael Matheson said while the Scottish Government backed efforts to make roads safer, councils were “best placed” to use their local knowledge to decide where 20mph limits should be brought in.
But following the reduction in road casualties in Wales, Mr Ruskell urged the government in Scotland to act.
He said: “We need to learn from their experience and replicate its success across Scotland.
“Fundamentally it’s about safety and making our neighbourhoods more welcoming and accessible for all. ”
The Bute House Agreement between the Scottish Greens and the SNP included a commitment for all appropriate roads in built-up areas to have a 20mph limit by 2025 – and Mr Ruskell urged the Scottish Government not to backtrack on that commitment despite the collapse earlier this year of the powersharing deal.
He said: “We have already made really important progress across parts of the country, with life-saving 20mph defaults becoming more and more common, and it’s crucial that the Scottish Government supports councils to finish the job as soon as possible.”
The Green added: “We all benefit from safer streets, and a default 20mph speed limit in built-up areas is a simple, quick and proven way to reduce road casualties.”
Transport Scotland has been contacted for comment.
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Mark Ruskell (Scottish Greens) is wrong. Whilst it’s true there was a drop in casualties on 20mph and 30mph roads in the first three months of 2024 compared to the previous three months, the final quarter of 2023, he should note that the default was introduced in September 2023. The reality is that there were nine people seriously injured in Q4 2022 at 20 mph while this increased to 92 seriously injured people in Q4 2023, an increase of 922%. You need to compare like with like. This is because there’s ‘more people out and about’ in summer than in… Read more »
“There was in increase of 922%”.
They weren’t the same roads.
You need to compare like with like.
Oh, the irony of commenting “you need to compare like for like” and then trying to do completely the opposite! Of course there will be more injuries on 20mph roads now in absolute terms – because there are far more of such roads in the first place.
The logical thing to do is to look at the combined total of injuries on 20 and 30 mph roads before and after the change, as the combined length of 20 and 30 zones will have stayed broadly the same and you’ll be including all the roads that have changed.
Douglas Ross has gone from Holyrood now but I warn the Scottish Parliament that whoever the Tory leader is there now, prepare to have the word ‘blanket’ redefined, to have misinformation awash so that you have to warn drivers the limit does not apply on the M8 & M74 etc and irrational unhinged screaming for months. If I am being unfairly judgmental on the Tory group there, I feel certain that Andrew RT Davies will be giving you the benefit of his experience.
Blanket blanket blanket. Imagine being threatened and intimidated by the word blanket!
Blanket.
Blankets are nice and warm and if RT finds the world scary he can pull it over his head so it is nice and dark.
For sale:
One used blanket. Can be used as a cape.
Guaranteed to make wearer appear a political colossus (and definitely not a buffoon).
Just for fun. No refund.
I was in London the other day and the ‘blanket’ apparently stretches that far too – 20mph everywhere – but no calls for it to be changed there. Strange that…
Yes I saw that when I was there for the marathon.
Oh stop, you’re intimidating me. 😄
Esure the insurance company says there has been a 20% drop in claims since introduction of 20mph limit in Wales. That is quite substantial, especially given the increase in tailgating I have noticed.
Other cities also agree. (will need translation)
https://www.tagesschau.de/ausland/europa/lyon-tempo-30-100.html
I have visited several places in Scotland (and England) since September 2023 and found that there are many towns and villages with a 20mph zone. Locals don’t object but they laugh at the fuss created by people in Cymru over the Tories’ objections.
The Tories are waging war on pedestrians and children.
Yes plus they are embarrassing Cymru.