20 mph Speed Limit Signs - Self Adhesive Sticker 300mm x 300mm

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Direction 11 of the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2002 (TSRGD 2002), as amended, defines the requirements for the placing of speed-limit repeater signs. This states that speed-limit repeater signs cannot be placed along a road on which there is carriageway lighting not more than 183 metres apart and which is subject to a 30 mph speed limit. This direction applies regardless of how the speed limit has been imposed. But while research indicates that introducing 20mph zones instead of 20mph limits has a greater impact on vehicle speeds and accident statistics, there is also evidence that zones are significantly less popular with road users. The Road Safety Foundation has assessed the safety of the trunk road network, assessing the protection levels that the design and engineering features of roadsides, medians and junctions on these roads offer in case of a crash. This assessment uses a star-based European Road Assessment Programme (EuroRAP) Road Protection Score, and has found that two-thirds of single carriageway trunk roads achieve only a 2-star (out of 4) rating. Even though this assessment has only been applied to trunk roads it suggests that engineering measures may often be more appropriate to manage speed and reduce collisions on rural single carriageway roads. Why did you introduce a 20mph speed limit on residential roads and busy pedestrian streets across Wales?

Where there is poor compliance with an existing speed limit on a road or stretch of road the reasons for the non-compliance should be examined before a solution is sought. If the speed limit is set too low for no clear reason and the risk of collisions is low, then it may be appropriate to increase the limit.

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In July 2022, Ministers voted to change the law to make 20mph the norm. They say research shows that changes will reduce pollution and fatal crashes. It is important to note that the above does not imply that speed limits should automatically be reduced. Indeed, in some cases the assessment may suggest that the existing speed limit may be too low, and a higher speed limit should be considered, as it is likely to be achievable safely. The estimated collision and injury savings should also be an important factor when considering changes to a local speed limit. Another key factor when setting a speed limit is what the road looks like to the road users. Drivers are likely to expect and respect lower limits, and be influenced when deciding on what is an appropriate speed, where they can see there are potential hazards, for example outside schools, in residential areas or villages and in shopping streets. continued reductions in the number of road traffic collisions, injuries and deaths in which excessive or inappropriate speed is a contributory factor

These new arrangements should significantly reduce the requirement for signing and traffic calming features. Traffic authorities can now incorporate wider areas within a 20 mph zone, by effectively signing 20mph speed limits on distributor roads where traffic calming features are not suitable, or for small individual roads or stretches of road, where mean speeds are already at or below 24 mph. Research has shown that the risk of a pedestrian dying in a collision with a car increases slowly up to an impact speed of around 30mph, but at speeds above 30 mph the risk of death increases rapidly (Rosén and Sander, 2009). Car occupants also benefit from lower speeds. Research in London showed that the largest casualty reductions associated with 20mph zones were children killed and seriously injured, and car occupants (Grundy et al, 2008). Local speed limits are determined by traffic authorities having regard to guidance issued by the Department for Transport. This guidance applies to England and supersedes that previously contained in DfT Circular 01/2006, which is now cancelled. [footnote 1] From the Beaufort Wales Omnibus survey of a thousand adults in September 2022, 63% said they support a lower speed limit where they live. In some areas, at the discretion of the police, and for more minor speeding offences only you might be offered a speed awareness course.

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Most road traffic law pertaining to speed limits is contained in the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 (RTRA 1984). Other relevant legislation includes the Highways Act 1980, in particular Sections 90A-F concerning the construction and maintenance of road humps and Sections 90G-I concerning other traffic-calming works. Quality of life impact may include emissions, severance of local communities, visual impact, noise and vibration and costs, including of engineering and other physical measures including signing, maintenance and cost of enforcement. Speeding offences are enforced by the police using fixed, mobile or average speed cameras and are generally dealt with using the Fixed Penalty Notice system. Before introducing or changing a local speed limit, traffic authorities will wish to satisfy themselves that the expected benefits exceed the costs. Many of the costs and benefits do not have monetary values associated with them, but traffic authorities should include an assessment of the following factors: A minority of streets in Portsmouth had average speeds of 25 mph or higher before the 20 mph speed limits were introduced and here the reductions in average speed tended to be greater, but insufficient to make the resulting speeds generally compliant with the new 20 mph limits. City-wide schemes may also contribute to changing travel and driving behaviour positively in the longer run, and the objectives of the Portsmouth speed limits spread well beyond improving road safety. Schemes need to aim for compliance with the new speed limit.

The 20mph limit is in place on what are called 'restricted' roads. These are roads in built-up areas, where there is high pedestrian activity. Anecdotally though, speed cameras may not seem as prevalent on roads with 20mph limits as they do on other roads, and this may be linked to the fact that 20mph limits are supposed to be “self enforcing”. However, evidence suggests that when traffic is travelling at constant speeds, even at a lower level, it may result in shorter and more reliable overall journey times, and that journey time savings from higher speed are often overestimated (Stradling et al., 2008). The objective should be to seek an acceptable balance between costs and benefits, so that speed-management policies take account of environmental, economic and social effects as well as the reduction in casualties they are aiming to achieve. Traffic calming involves the installation of specific physical measures to encourage lower traffic speeds. There are many measures available to traffic authorities to help reduce vehicle speeds and ensure compliance with the speed limit in force. These are required at regular intervals in 20 mph zones and may be used in 20 mph limits. As set out above, speed limit traffic signs and/or speed roundel markings can now also be used by traffic authorities in England.Speed limits should be evidence-led and self-explaining and seek to reinforce people’s assessment of what is a safe speed to travel. They should encourage self-compliance. Speed limits should be seen by drivers as the maximum rather than a target speed. For the majority of roads there is a consistent relationship between mean speed and 85th percentile speed. Where this is not the case, it will usually indicate that drivers have difficulty in deciding the appropriate speed for the road, suggesting that a better match between road design and speed limit is required. It may be necessary to consider additional measures to reduce the larger than normal difference between mean and 85th percentile speeds or to bring the speed distribution more in line with typical distributions. The aim for local speed limits should be to align the speed limit to the conditions of the road and road environment.