20mph speed limit....for or against?

I seem to remember an uproar from right wing press about the seat belt law and the introduction of drink- driving legislation. There were demos about loosing our freedoms etc. funny how people get so possessive about their cars, they feel that they are more important than safer streets.

You can't change gear if you have an automatic car. If it's downhill your foot is on the brake and your eye roving to the speedo. So It can be a distraction. Also there are mad drivers who drive up your backside trying to make you go faster. In certain areas such as near schools or narrow lanes they are good but not everywhere.

Mainly against. Except near schools.
It's frustrating and that can lead to carelessness. Maybe 25 in some residential areas though.

The costs in Wales are reported as anywhere between £27 million and £32 million.
Some may need redoing.

We haven't heard anything about this here, but it seems very slow. It would definitely take some getting used to. Our default is 50 km (around 30 mi) in towns, 30 km (20mi) in school and playground zones, then higher for highways.

Just changing all the signs will be expensive! I wonder if they will see an improvement in accident rates; I do hope they publicize the differences after a period of time.

….and ULEZ was instigated by Boris Johnson but I assume you know that?

JenniferEccles

To me this just smacks of another Labour money -making scheme, like the ULEZ fiasco in London.

Why Labour? We’re in the borders and I assume the 20 mph speed restrictions here are in SNP areas?

To me this just smacks of another Labour money -making scheme, like the ULEZ fiasco in London.

Fleurpepper

Near schools a good idea, but not generally.

Obviously every journey takes at least half as long again, ok for those who are retired or travelling for leisure but as far as people travelling to and from work, making deliveries, carers going from patient to patient are concerned, it is making life difficult.

Yes school areas of course - and also near hospitals, nursing homes, care homes, police, ambulance and fire stations, doctor and dentist's surgeries - all being areas where pedestrians are distracted for one reason or another and drivers need to take extra care.
And anywhere near a pub of course - so make it everywhere so everyone knows the rules.

Near schools a good idea, but not generally.

Siope

I’m in favour.

It will cost the economy £billions.

A 20mph limit near schools is a good idea.

I’m in favour.

Callistemon21

Casdon

Isn’t the 50mph M4 speed limit only for four junctions between junction 24 at the Coldra and junction 28 in Tredegar Park in Newport Callistemon21, because of pollution? I’ve not seen it on any other sections of the M4 in Wales but maybe it is.
I find that section a lot less annoying than the M5, which had roadworks near Worcester for ever, or so it seems, or the M42 which has constant lane widening work going on - I hate those concrete lane barriers they use.

The traffic grinds to a halt and the pollution must be far worse as a result.
It's 50 mph on the M48, which is not a busy motorway, which people believe is an experiment.

I think it’s the Brynglas tunnels that’s the problem, I agree it’s a pain - but it is only four junctions, not the whole of the M4 in Wales as a whole?

I used to travel on the M48 frequently, and it was very quiet. I’m not sure what benefit there is in that being 50mph, if any, but to be fair I can see why they are having to do it for that stretch on the M4, I think that’s a necessity not a whim.

Definitely against, it's an absolute disaster.
We've had 20 mph around schools for a long time, I agree with that, but only that.

Casdon

Isn’t the 50mph M4 speed limit only for four junctions between junction 24 at the Coldra and junction 28 in Tredegar Park in Newport Callistemon21, because of pollution? I’ve not seen it on any other sections of the M4 in Wales but maybe it is.
I find that section a lot less annoying than the M5, which had roadworks near Worcester for ever, or so it seems, or the M42 which has constant lane widening work going on - I hate those concrete lane barriers they use.

The traffic grinds to a halt and the pollution must be far worse as a result.
It's 50 mph on the M48, which is not a busy motorway, which people believe is an experiment.

Isn’t the 50mph M4 speed limit only for four junctions between junction 24 at the Coldra and junction 28 in Tredegar Park in Newport Callistemon21, because of pollution? I’ve not seen it on any other sections of the M4 in Wales but maybe it is.
I find that section a lot less annoying than the M5, which had roadworks near Worcester for ever, or so it seems, or the M42 which has constant lane widening work going on - I hate those concrete lane barriers they use.

It's even been introduced on some trunk roads here.

People are joking about trying to keep up with 20mph in the rush hours.
Or asking if cyclists are allowed to go at more than 20mph because they keep overtaking cars.

In some places there is a 20mph sign but 30mph newly painted on the road 🤔

Some motorways are 50 or even 40mph.

Wales is grinding to a halt.

20mph around schools is a good idea.

I wish the signs were bigger. We keep finding ourselves on 20 mph roads and missing them even with two of us looking out for them.

For - although our wide roads are fine at 30mph most of the day it's easier to have a consistent limit so everyone knows exactly where they are.
One road near here is 30mph for the most part but switches to 40mph for about 50 yards before going back to 30, no idea why!

Any chance of speed limits for cyclists riding on pavements am wondering….?

20 m p h

We live in Wales and we went out on the first day of 20mins. All very erratic as where it changes to 30, Long streams of cars moving through villages and some not caring at all and going 40. Perhaps it will all calm down. At the moment there is a massive petition to change back.

Mixed feelings, we live in Oxfordshire, which is doing a Wales and I think the main problem is the speed limit needs to be applied selctively.

In our village, for example, no one is arguing about the residential areas going down to 20 miles an hour, but we have a major road going through the village, most of it between fields or our huge open green. Where it goes through the green there is a deep ditch either side. There has not been an accidents there in the nearly 30 years we have lived here. There is no reason why the mile or so of road going through open land should be reduced to 20mph.

In other villages, there are roads that just skirt the edge of villages, sometimes with no houses on them at all but because there is a village nameplate in two places, you need to slow down to 20 miles an hour.

As I said I am not opposed to the 20 mph speed limit in principle, I am all for it in residential roads, but I think where roads are in village boundaries but do not go through residential areas, they should be exempted.

On housing estates and near schools, yes, generally in built up areas no. Wales seems have done the opposite all built up areas and some exemptions.