Has 20mph made our roads safer?

[Eric the Half a Bee]

Has anyone changed their minds on this subject, now it’s been in for nine months?

Not in the slightest. However, like virtually every subject that divides opinion on the internet, some people only see things in black or white, one thing or the other, no middle ground or grey area.

Some people think that, by opposing a blanket approach to changing virtually all 30mph limits to 20, that I oppose 20mph limits. That's simply not true and, I might be guessing here, but I don't know anyone who has objections to 20mph speed limits around schools, playgrounds, housing estates etc.

For me the issue has always been about arterial roads. In some parts of the country it's possible to be on quicker roads relatively soon after leaving home. In other areas, such as the valleys, the only options for travel are these roads, sometimes several miles at a time. For all the talk of just adding a minute to everyone's journeys, that's clearly a nonsense for some people, who could spend a couple more days a year behind the wheel of a car because of the slower speed limits (10 extra minutes a day over 300 days a year is over 48 hours).

I will continue to object to 20mph limits on roads where there is clearly no reason for this, such as in areas where there are few or no houses. 40 mph limits still exist in many areas like this and were never changed, yet similar roads in 30mph areas have been changed. For everyone who shouts about road safety and being happy if it saves just one person, none of them ever give a reason why the sorts of roads I've mentioned shouldn't revert back to 30mph.

As with some believing opposing the 20mph limits means complete opposition to all 20mph limits, I also think those also believe that those against a blanket approach are happy to mow down pedestrians and have little regard for those seriously injured. That is not true as well. Condescending remarks like "I hope it's not your kid run over" do nothing to help and demonstrates little knowledge or thinking about the situation. Most of us know of roads where 20mph limits are totally proposterous. If the data comparing the last quarter of 2022 with 2023 is as a result of speed limit changes, it's done no more than save one bad accident in Wales per week, yet lots of us are trundling around quite safely and, as I've said before, well over 99.999% of journeys at 30mph are completed totally safely. There's probably more chance of winning a decent prize on lotto than being involved in a bad accident at 30mph or slower. Roads will never be a totally safe place for others, but education on road safety is very important. Like I've said, lots of accidents are caused by either a driver or someone else being at fault.

Lastly, one of the biggest frustrations at the new speed limits are the utter arseholes who drive at 15, 16, 17 mph, or continue at a mere 20mph when the speed limit changes. There's a 50mph road near me and I've seen drivers doing barely more than 20 on it. I enjoy driving and I very rarely don't know what a speed limit is. How people don't notice signposts etc is beyond me.