Government to cut speed limits

In a move designed to cut road deaths by a third, the government has announced plans to cut the speed limits on many A-roads and to introduce a whole new raft of measures designed to make the job of policing our roads easier and more effective.

The proposals, which are intended to work towards a ten-year safety target, will see drivers facing 20 mph speed limits in residential areas and around schools, 50mph limits on single carriageway roads, random breath tests and tougher fixed penalties. The aim will be to cut road deaths by up to 1,000.

Although recent figures show that in 2007 fewer people died on the roads (nearly 3,000) than at any time since records began, nevertheless Britain is falling behind other countries in terms of the average number of deaths. Ten years ago, Britain had the best road safety record in Europe – today it has fallen behind other countries such as Sweden, Switzerland and Norway – and other countries such as France are rapidly closing the gap.

The Government consultation paper, entitled A Safer Way: Consultation on Making Britain’s Roads the Safest in the World (see Department for Transport web site at www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roadsafety/roadsafetyconsultation) sets out targets which must be reached by 2020 in comparison with average casualty figures for the period 2004-08. It’s plans include:

• reducing speed limits on single carriageways and introducing 20mph speed limits in residential areas,
• increase in the number of average speed cameras at exit and entry points to residential areas,
• doubling the fixed penalty for driving at 15mph or more over the speed limit to six points,
• doubling the fine for failing to wear a seat belt to £60,
• removing the need for police to suspect that an offence has been committed before they stop and breath test a driver,
• making roadside breath test specimens admissible as evidence in court,
• removing a driver’s right to demand a blood test,
• fixed penalties for careless driving, and
• making the driving test tougher

The plans, which have been criticised by several road safety groups as not going far enough, have been attacked by some groups as creating situations in which drivers will become inattentive and therefore more likely to have an accident. Against this, the Government cites research which shows that a person hit by a car at 30mph has just a one in five chance of survival, while someone hit at 20mph has a one in 40.