20mph speed limit for England considered by MPs

MPs are considering a default 20mph speed limit in England similar to Wales. The Transport Select Committee inviting road safety experts to consider the reduced speed limit from 30mph.

Representatives from TfL, which has managed the reduction of speed limits on some of London’s busiest roads, as well as campaign group 20’s Plenty for Us which campaigns for nationwide 20mph speed limits across towns and villages, the 20mph Task Force Group from Wales’ government and 20mph Steering Group, were among the experts in the committee.

A senior TfL official told MPs that ministers should learn from London.

Some English local authorities have begun to adopt a default 20mph speed limit in response to a new road safety strategy from the government. In January, it set a target of a reduction in people killed or seriously injured on the roads by 65%, and a 70% reduction for children by 2035.

To that aim, the Department for Transport (DfT) has written new regulations. These include a minimum learning period for new drivers, a mandatory eyesight test for drivers 70 and older, and additional regulations of new vehicle design.

MPs have been told they are far too “hesitant” to tackle road safety, and they should take inspiration from the Mayor of London. More than half of the capital’s roads now have 20mph speed limits as part of the Vision Zero strategy from City Hall which aims for there to be no deaths or serious injuries on the capital’s road network by 2041.

A lack of guidance on speed restrictions is a “missed opportunity” for the government, TfL’s Chief Safety, Health and Environment Officer, Lilli Matson, told the House of Commons Transport Committee.

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