Welsh Government correct police chiefs on 20mph data
Richard Evans – Local Democracy Reporter
The Welsh Government has issued a statement after North Wales Police bosses said they had no evidence that the 20mph speed limit had reduced casualties.
The force’s chief constable and crime commissioner made the statement last week at a North Wales Police and Crime Panel at Conwy County Council’s Bodlondeb HQ.
North Wales Police’s Crime Commissioner Andy Dunbobbin and Chief Constable Amanda Blakeman said they were unable to provide, or hadn’t seen, evidence that the 20mph speed limit had reduced casualties.
The 20mph default speed limit was introduced on restricted roads by the Welsh Government on 17 September 2023.
The Welsh Government has now said there has been a long-term decrease in both casualties and collisions.
Trend
A Welsh Government spokeswoman said: “The latest data shows that collisions on local roads have reduced significantly.
“We will continue to monitor the long-term trend, but things are heading in the right direction.
“We also recognise some roads should revert back to 30mph, which is precisely what will happen as a result of our review.”
The Welsh Government said in the first quarter of 2024 there were 811 road casualties reported in Wales. Of these casualties 16 (2%) were killed.
188 (23%) people were seriously injured. 607 (75%) had slight injuries.
A Welsh Governments spokeswoman said: “The total number of casualties is 17% lower than in the previous quarter (982) and 16% lower than in the same quarter in 2023 (968).”
The Welsh Government also claimed road collisions had reduced.
According to data in the first quarter of 2024, there were 606 police-reported road collisions in Wales.
Of these collisions 16 (3%) were fatal. 163 (27%) were serious collisions. 427 (70%) were slight collisions.
The total number of collisions is 18% lower than in the previous quarter (737) and 17% lower than in the same quarter in 2023 (733).
The Welsh Government also said the number of police-recorded road collisions in the first quarter of 2024 is the lowest quarterly figure recorded in Wales outside the Covid-19 period and that the number of quarterly road collisions in Wales has been declining over the last decade.
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This data is floored . It’s impossible to contribute any accident to speed unless each case is looked at individually thus finding the cause.
It’s not necessary to link cause to speed. The cause might be a driver checking their Insta likes, but at a slower speed they may still have been able to avoid the crash, or it may have resulted in a dent but no injuries.
Surely if the only variable that has changed is speed limit. It is logical to assume that reduced collisions is the result of that speed reduction.
Could they have been talking about North Wales specific data?
Overtaken again this week on Park Road Newbridge, still impatient drivers about.
Bit of a flawed article here where the comparison is not the same. Welsh Government is looking at All Wales Statistical data whilst the Chief Constable of North Wales and PCC is looking at their force specific data. Suggest the author asks the WG for North Wales specific data. Additionally more scrutiny is required, where did the collision occur? Was it in a 40/60 or 70mph road. This type of statistical data should be retrievable from the stats produced by Police for every casualty collision. If we want to look at 20mph effectiveness perhaps the statisticians need to focus on… Read more »
One day Wales will have a right of centre gov’t as Iceland, Sweden & Czechia do, and it will bloom in a golden age. But those conservatives will be serious about taking power and put Welshness 1st.
Wales has has a right-of-centre government (pre devolution) It resulted in Wales being the poorest region of the UK. Whoever is in power in Cardiff will still be hamstrung by London’s failure to review Barnett, London’s choice to falsely say investment in England benefits Wales and therefore Wales doesn’t need any match funding. London making UK policy that is for the benefit of the City of London rather than us. Look at how the right wing Government replacement for EU funding – that is a fraction of what Wales got from the EU. Left or right in Cardiff doesn’t stand… Read more »