£800,000 20mph zones 'saw rise in road fatalities', council admits

Cutting speed limits in town centres and on housing estates to just 20mph might actually see more accidents and injuries.

A review of 13 lower speed zones introduced at a cost of more than £800,000 by a local council a year ago has revealed the number of deaths or serious injuries has risen in seven areas.

And it could be that pedestrians and cyclists are taking less care in 20mph areas than on 30mph roads.

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The review for Bath and North East Somerset council says: “There is no simple explanation for this adverse trend but it could be that local people perceive the area to be safer due to the presence of the 20mph restrictions and thus are less diligent when walking and crossing roads, cycling or otherwise travelling.”

The council spent £870,000 installing the 20mph road measures and leader Patrick Anketell-Jones said it would probably cost the same again to change the signage back.

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“We just haven’t got the money. I’m pretty sure the 20mph zones will stay in place for the foreseeable future,” he said.

Mr Anketell-Jones said there were some roads where it might still be a good idea to have 20mph zones, such as around schools or where a lot of elderly people live.

The nationwide 20mph scheme was implemented based on research that shows a child struck by a car at 20mph is significantly more likely to survive than at 30mph.

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Reductions in fatalities and injuries were seen in the lower speed limit zones in central Bath, but the increase was seen in rural areas and smaller towns in the county.

The report concludes there is “little in the way of persuasive argument for continuing the programme in the future”, and adds that the rise in casualty numbers and severity would “suggest against further expansion of area based schemes”.