10mph speed limit on some roads is 'interesting' idea says Welsh Government minister
Evidence that lower speed limits might be needed on some roads has been labelled 'interesting' by a senior cabinet minister in Wales. The Road Safety Foundation (RSF) said 10mph or even 5mph would be needed if collisions were to result in fewer than 10% of people killed or seriously injured.
By this metric, the charity said 20mph limits on country roads and single carriageways would be needed. But it accepted that translating these findings into policy and practice is 'complex'.
If implemented, it could see 10mph limits on thousands of miles of roads. The notion has been condemned as 'farcical' and 'ludicrous' but a YouGov poll this week found that 40% of adults would support the policy.
The RSF suggested the 10mph limit might apply around schools, hospitals and sporting, social and cultural venues. These are areas with more pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists who could be seriously hurt or killed if struck at a higher speeds, said the charity.
In 2023 Wales became the first UK country in the UK to reduce maximum speed limits in built-up areas to 20mph. In a plenary meeting on Tuesday, May 20, the Senedd's Leader of the House Jane Hutt was invited to ruled out 10mph limits in Wales.
At the session, Laura Anne Jones MS for South Wales East, said: 'In most places, the idea would be laughed out of town, but after the Welsh Government's disastrous default 20mph speed limit, I think we need some reassurance.'
In response, the Social Justice Secretary said the lower speed limits in Wales have been supported by the public. Ms Hutt said: 'It is interesting that that association (RSF) did come forward with proposals, based on evidence, that in some circumstances, 10mph – let alone 10 mph, 5mph – is appropriate in terms of road speeds.
'I think all the evidence has shown that the roll-out of the 20mph speed limit in Wales, as appropriately instigated by local authorities, has not only saved lives, cut insurance bills, but actually has now been welcomed by the people of Wales.' Polls have consistently shown a majority of people in Wales remain opposed to the default 20mph limit.
Tory MS Laura Anne Jones was disappointed the Welsh Government hadn't taken the opportunity to rule out 10mph zones. She said: 'The 20mph speed limit has already been a disaster, and reducing the limit to 10mph would be an attack on motorists that would see runners and mobility scooters overtaking cars.
'It would be farcical, and it needs to be nipped in the bud. Everyone would support 20mph outside schools and hospitals, but this never-ending attack on motorists has to stop.'
The RSF said its proposals would help reach 'vision zero', the long-term aim of no deaths or or serious injuries on UK roads. In its 'Determining Safe Speeds' report, the foundation said its ideas were 'evidence-based' and lower speeds should be considered an 'acceptable by-product of mobility'. The charity accepted its calculated safe speeds were "very low, possibly lower than most practitioners and policy makers may have understood previously".
The report said modifying road infrastructure was crucial if the 10% mortality/injury target was to be met. It suggested 30mph limits were acceptable on roads not regularly used by cyclists or pedestrians.
On motorways and some dual carriageways, faster speeds were only acceptable if they had no T-junctions or crossroads, or 'fully segregated facilities' for pedestrians or cyclists.
Speaking to The Times, executive director Dr Suzy Charman said: 'We are not saying that all speeds or speed limits should be set to these speeds, rather that infrastructure needs to be improved or speeds reduced to ensure travelled speeds are better aligned with human tolerances to crash forces.'
Hugh Bladon from the Alliance of British Driver described the suggested limits were 'laughable'. He suggested that, to achieve further road casualty reductions, it 'might be better to ban people from walking or cycling'.
He added: 'If you ban all motorised transport you might reduce deaths and injury a bit, but we should remember that more people were being killed and injured, in the days before motorised transport, by horses and their carriages.'
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