20mph speed limits do work

4.01.55pm BST (GMT +0100) Mon 5th Oct 2009

In a letter to the local press Judith Lubbock, Liberal Democrat City Councillor for Eaton, revealed that Portsmouth has achieved a 15% reduction in road casualties since introducing 20mph speed limits in residential streets.

Dear Editor,

Portsmouth has achieved a 15% reduction in road casualties and a 13% reduction in total accidents. This good news was reported to a conference in Portsmouth last week, at which Portsmouth City Council and the Department for Transport reported on the results of the 20mph speed limit in all residential roads (bar arterial routes) which has been in place since March 2008.

Although the monitoring showed that the overall mean speed did not fall very much (only 1%, in fact) what was significant was the fact that in those streets where speeds previously were 24mph or above, a huge 7mph reduction in mean speed was recorded.

Portsmouth's success in finding a way to share streets more equitably and their commitment to their vision of encouraging more walking and cycling with a 20mph speed limit has reaped dividends for all, but especially for the young and elderly.

I hope that when the issue of 20mph speed limits is again on the Joint highways Agenda in March 2010 that Norwich moves forward with the same vision and commitment as Portsmouth.

Yours sincerely,

Liberal Democrat City Councillor Judith Lubbock