Could 20 mph become ‘the norm’ on UK roads?

The introduction of a new ‘default’ UK national speed limit of 20 miles-per-hour (mph) – and with it a safer environment for children – could become a reality, according to a draft government report.

An early version of the Department for Transport’s Manual for Streets planning document says that the ‘default’ aim should be to aim for a speed limit of 20mph in urban environments and, in particular, residential streets.

‘Significantly lower speeds’ should also be usually desirable, according to the document which has been seen by The Sunday Times newspaper. Due for publication later this year, this strategy would be complimenting a trend seen in areas across London and, notably, across the whole of Wales, which is bringing in such a policy from September this year.

Such a move would, of course, have significant implications for the safety of children on the roads, as they are among the most vulnerable of road users, be it as passengers in vehicles, pedestrians or cyclists.

A spokesperson for the DfT told the Sunday Times that the government had always been keen to see road designs that enable low speeds to prioritise safety. “It is for local authorities to consider setting 20 mph speed limits on streets where people and traffic mix,” they added.

It also feeds into the policies of some of the UK’s more proactive local authorities on issues around urban speeds and the safety of vulnerable road users. The London district of Hackney, for instance, has just announced plans to make three-quarters of the borough low traffic. This includes better walking routes, new School Streets at all local primary schools and expanding it to secondary schools.

Meanwhile Brake, the UK’s foremost road safety charity, has long supported a move to slower speed limits, maintaining that an average speed reduction of just a single mile per hour reduces the chances of a crash by five per cent.