Introduction

The Parish Council believes that road safety goes far beyond direct casualties. It is also about responding to the fear experienced by many villagers when walking, pushing buggies or using mobility scooters along our narrow pavements, or cycling on our busy roads. Modern cars are very safe for those inside, but their increasing size and weight, combined with their silent approach (in the case of electric vehicles), makes them intimidating for other road users. That perception matters – everyone has the right to feel safe when out and about in their own community, and lowering the speed of traffic through the village would be an important step in the right direction. The purpose of the village consultation is to establish whether a 20mph speed limit is the best way to achieve that aim.

20mph speed limits can be found all over the world, with many dating back to the 1990s. In the UK they are becoming much more common; for example in inner London, over 2 million people now live on 20mph roads.

With this long history, there is a large body of published research examining the effectiveness of 20mph limits. This summary aims to answer the most frequently asked questions and provides links to relevant research