Lack of funding inhibiting councils from implementing 20mph limits

The report, produced by road safety charity Brake, was informed through a freedom of information request directed at Britain’s 206 local traffic authorities.

It found that while there is certainly benefits of implementing stricter limits in residential areas, the cost is prohibitive, especially related to present signage regulations. It also found that guidance regarding the implementation of 20mph limits was confusing to some councils, acting as a further barrier.

Dr Tom Fisher, research manager for Brake, said: “At a time when local authority budgets are being slashed by central Government, that Government has a duty to do what it can to enable those authorities to spend that cash as efficiently as possible. However, when it comes to making streets in their communities safer, the government is tying the hands of cash-strapped councils with out-dated and unnecessary regulations.”

Fisher maintained that 20mph limits were “an effective and globally-recognised solution to unacceptably dangerous roads in our cities, towns, and villages”.

He added “Ultimately, we would like to see 20mph become the default urban speed limit in the UK. In the meantime, the government can remove red tape and show stronger leadership by providing clearer and more positive guidance, and by doing away with the requirement for costly repeater signs.”

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