10mph on some Welsh roads 'interesting' idea, minister says

Leader Live

22-05-2025

It comes after a Welsh Government minister described the suggestion of reducing the limit on some roads to 10mph an "interesting" idea.
Jane Hutt, the Trefnydd (leader of the house), made the comments in the Senedd this week - in reference to a report by the Road Safety Foundation (RSF).
The RSF report sates: "Based on the latest publicly available research, the evidence-based maximum operating speeds on British roads if most deaths and life-changing injuries are to be avoided are as follows:
"10mph where there is a particular prevalence of pedestrians and/or bicyclists and/or motorcyclists, or where there is a heightened vulnerability of pedestrians to impact and injury (e.g. around schools, around hospitals, and in the vicinity of major sports or social/cultural events).
"20mph in other locations where pedestrians and/or bicyclists and/or motorcyclists mix with cars.
"20mph where cars and HGVs mix and where: head-on collisions are possible (i.e. single carriageways) or side impacts are possible (e.g. at T-junctions and crossroads).
"30mph where head-on collisions and side impacts are possible only between cars."
The report concludes: "The expert panel agreed that those working toward a Safe System should aim for operating speeds where no more than 10% of collisions result in a death or serious injury. Where there is no option to segregate road users of different mass from one another, the speeds required to remain within the 10% threshold are much lower than current operating speeds and often lower than even many road safety professionals might expect.
"Where these speeds are not implemented, a higher risk of serious or fatal injury is effectively being toleratedTranslating these findings into policy and practice is complex. Where operating speeds are higher than the speeds identified, the potential strategies are to bring operating speeds down, improve infrastructure provision, or both.
"Translating these findings into policy and practice is complex. Where operating speeds are higher than the speeds identified, the potential strategies are to bring operating speeds down, improve infrastructure provision, or both. Further work is needed to develop comprehensive speed management guidelines."
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The RSF has since issued a statement following the publication of its report.
It clarifies: "Our report is a technical research paper directed to practitioners and policy makers. It seeks to determine the speeds at which fewer than 10 per cent of people would be killed or seriously injured in a collision – a level of risk considered by experts to align towards a Safe System. It is clear is that these 'safe speeds' are very low, possibly lower than most practitioners and policy makers may have understood previously.
"The Road Safety Foundation has not made ANY recommendations about what speed limits would be appropriate; however, we do say that 'In the meantime, prioritising speed management will substantially reduce fatalities and serious injuries, bringing road systems closer to achieving Vision Zero goals. Any reduction in operating speeds toward the identified 'safe' speeds will have a meaningful impact on road safety'."
Responding to a question in the Senedd on the report, Ms Hutt said: "It is interesting that that association did come forward with proposals, based on evidence, that in some circumstances 10mph, 5mph is appropriate in terms of road speeds."
She said the evidence had shown the rollout of the 20mph speed limit had "not only saved lives, cut insurance bills, but actually has now been welcomed by the people of Wales".
Her comments come as the first roads in Wrexham revert to 30mph following the Welsh Government's review of the 20mph limit last summer.
And Ken Skates, Transport Secretary, has said there are "no plans to reduce speed limits to 10mph in Wales".
Mr Skates said the change in limit in some areas was "about getting the right speeds on the right roads".
Welsh Conservatives leader, Andrew RT Davies, described any thoughts of further reducing speed limits in Wales as "ludicrous".