A 20mph speed limit is as enforceable as any speed limit. Drivers received more than 216,000 fines for travelling between 20mph and 30mph in 2023. However, there were huge variations in enforcement, with the majority of fines coming from just two police forces. Avon and Somerset and the Metropolitan Police issued 97% of the 700,000 fines for 20mph offences issued between 2018 and 2023, while 17 forces issued fewer than 100 over the same period. The numbers are likely to be higher for 2024 due to the introduction of 20mph across Wales.

The Parish Council will continue to ask for more police support, but in reality police attention to speeding in Burwell is unlikely to change greatly, being mostly confined to speed camera visits every few years. Fortunately, the movable vehicle activated signs (MVAS) operated by the Parish Council in Burwell record the speed of every passing vehicle, and that data can be used to draw the attention of the police to speeding hot-spots. Also the data could be used to support requests for future traffic calming measures.

The primary role of the MVAS units is to reduce vehicle speeds through Burwell, and evidence from two case studies indicates that they are effective: MVAS can achieve significant reductions in average speed, provided the locations are varied and re-visited.
Despite the variable level of police enforcement, 20mph speed limits are very effective at reducing average speeds, which mean fewer collisions and fewer casualties. Vehicles often travel in convoys through villages and if some drivers keep to the 20mph limit, they also set the speed for every vehicle in the convoy. For further information about compliance, see “Why change to 20mph when drivers ignore the current limit?”

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