Quote Originally Posted by Dave Blue View Post
Unless it’s their own family member it appears not.
Such a crass comment deserves a reply, so here goes.

I acknowledge that roads are dangerous places. Even at 20mph. Accidents and casualties occur in car parks. Making roads safe havens for everyone is a zenith that will never be reached while motor vehicles exist. My first driving instructor told me on my first lesson that I was going to be using a machine that is one of the most dangerous ever invented.

I'm lucky that I've never been involved in an accident. I reckon even those who consider themselves the safest of drivers have had a few big scares. I had one a few years ago in Tonypandy, where some cockwomble walked out into the road without looking where he was going, headphones on, and an emergency stop when I was doing around 25mph meant I just avoided him. If I'd been doing 30 he'd have been knocked over. Yes, that would have had an effect on me, but it would have been his fault.

I've recently thought about what would happen if my 10 year old son had been run over; if he'd been seriously injured for life or killed. If it had been a case of him not being careful then these things, however tragic, happen. People make decisions that prove to be fatal in so many walks of life. If it had been a case that someone had been driving dangerously then that's a totally different matter.

One common theme I saw when looking up some of the accidents where there were fatalities or serious casualties, was that dangerous driving was often a factor. This evening, I approached a junction, wanting to turn left, while someone coming from my left, turning right into the road I was in, cut the corner and nearly hit me. Not my fault at all.

Changing from 30mph to 20mph isn't going to stop dickheads who drive dangerously. If anything, it's making some drive and demonstrate more dangerous manouevers instead of being stuck behind someone driving slowly. I've seen drivers hurrying to overtake someone doing 50mph on a 60mph road. A change of speed limit isn't going to force a rethink.

There's been talk of deaths and thousands of casualties being prevented. I wonder how many accidents where there are casualties are genuine accidents, or whether most of them are due to one driver being a bit of an arsehole? I notice that quite a lot of accidents where there are casualties happen at night, or early morning, when it is dark.

I posted some stats about casualties in 20mph zones and 30mph zones. The figures were almost negligible.

I fully endorse 20mph speed limits in built up areas, around schools, play areas etc. What I don't support is 20mph zones on roads where there is absolutely no rhyme nor reason for it. Apparently the main road through Radyr is seen by locals as more dangerous since the speed limit was reduced.