Labour MP calls for 10mph speed limit

Councils should introduce speed limits of 10 miles an hour in residential areas, a Labour MP has suggested.

In a question to the Department for Transport, Rachael Maskell, MP for York Central, asked whether Mark Harper, the Transport Secretary, would roll-out reduced speed zones near homes.

She said: “[I want to] ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make it his policy to require local councils to introduce maximum speed limits of 10mph in residential areas?”

The suggestion has been criticised by the Conservative Party, which called it a “bonkers” idea.

A spokesman said: “This question shows just how out of touch Labour is. 10mph speed limits would be bonkers, pushing up congestion and making it impossible to drive.

“Labour’s anti-car crusade would see ordinary motorists taxed off the road.”

Labour drive to cut speed limits

There are currently very few 10mph zones across the country, apart from in central areas and car parks. So slow is the speed that the speedometers in many cars only start at 20mph.

The question comes in the middle of a drive by Labour-led administrations to try and cut speed limits on huge swathes of roads across the UK.

Last July, the Labour government in Wales announced that it would be lowering the speed limit on all residential roads from 30mph to 20mph.

The changes, which will come into effect in September, will cost £32 million to introduce, with Mark Drakeford, the First Minister, saying the measures would reduce collisions and pollution.

However, it has been met with some criticism, with the Welsh Conservatives saying it could take out £4.5 billion from the Welsh economy.

In London, Transport for London has recently announced that it intends to reduce the speed limits on a third of its roads by 2024.

This includes converting 64 miles of roads in inner London boroughs to 20mph zones in the next two years. Some 40mph zones will now be reduced to 30mph zones.

It comes as part of Sadiq Khan's Vision Zero plan, which aims to eliminate death and serious injury on London’s roads.

Speed limits 'do little to stop accidents'

The proliferation of 20mph zones has been a controversial issue with motorists and campaign groups in recent years, with some arguing that they drive safely and others criticising their overuse.

According to the data released by TfL, the number of collisions on roads which had 20mph zones introduced reduced by 25 per cent, from 406 to 304, and the collisions involving people walking decreased by 63 per cent, from 124 to 46.

However, research by experts at Queen’s University last year found that although speed limits reduce traffic they do little to stop accidents.

It compared four different years before and after 20mph zones were brought in and showed little change in short or long-term outcomes for road traffic collisions, casualties or driver speed.

A Labour spokesman said: “This is not being considered by Labour. Under the Conservatives, motorists have never had it so bad - our roads are falling apart, and ministers are refusing to stand up to the oil and gas giants raking it in at the petrol pump.”