New speed limit in Wales?

[cee-dee]

What do people on here think of the reduction down to 20MPH?

They say it will reduce deaths because not only will the force of a collision with pedestrians at 20MPH in residential areas be much less but the stopping distance will be much reduced too.

However, has anyone actually checked the speed at which such collisions occured? Don't you think that those driving in such collisions were exceeding the speed limit anyway and that type of person won't slow down anyway? Meanwhile, everyone else will conform but the speeders will just carry on regardless?

[wearenowclosedthankyou]

I agree, that's a strange thing..... we had already quite a few 20s around here but the speed vans were NEVER there they always plant themselves on the 30 roads that just left a 40 or 50 ....

[*knight-rider*]

`With respect, I can, along with probably every one else say that I feel safer walking on a 20mph road than a 30-40mph , there's nothing wrong with that it's stating the obvious`

Well, it`s not obvious really and not my point. You say you feel safer walking on a road at 20mph rather than one at 30-40mph, but my point was, that you weren`t thinking about others safety by virtue of the fact you saw a sign that said 30mph (limit), so that`s what you did.

So your argument really is, that you know it`s safer to walk down a road with a 20mph limit and safer for everyone else, but because a sign told you to do 30, that`s what you did, rather than use your own judgement.

it`s a bit like my point earlier about the fireworks, by law now, you shouldn`t let them off after 11p.m at night, but i`ts another case of the government having to step in again, because people have no common sense or thought for others, when their loosing them off at 2-3a.m in the middle of the night!

i`m not saying that laws etc are good or bad, lets face it, most are hardly enforced anyway, but i just find it sad that alot of them are needed in the first place, simply because people can`t think for themselves anymore 🙂

i know one thing i`d change if i could and that`s drink drive laws (off topic a bit). Too many people just don`t give a monkeys about anyone else, so here`s how i would do. NO drink drive limit, you shouldn`t drink and drive period, the current limit isn`t working, because like everything else, drink effects people differently. i have a friend who can drink 10-15 pints, but two would put me on my back, because i don`t drink. So, the first time you get caught, your lucky hopefully and haven`t killed anyone, so you get your 12 month ban and your fine, 12 months later, your ban is up, your back on the road. Now, you`ve been caught a second time and CLEARLY haven`t learned from the first ................. so i`d put your license through a shredder, your done!

[keeptheroof]

You will always get the people who look from their own best interest first and comment very negatively on new ideas like this. Sadly some don't think about deaths on the roads and the fact that if people had kept to the 30 mph limit these wouldn't be needed. With the old limit the average trip - for those who type to the limit - was around 25 mph. For those that didn't it was higher but also they account for most of the accidents and deaths on the road.

So what are the reasonable people losing? well not much. Over a short time traffic will adjust so far more people are traveling at 20 mph without stoppage then before. Fewer backlogs, less environmental cost, less noise, less wear on the road, fewer angry drivers, fewer accidents, less cost from those accidents, cheaper travel cost and fewer people losing their loved ones.

Of course, it won't last, it's vote loser and power is all that matters when it comes to politics in this country. They could find a cure for old age that would be stopped if the weren't enough votes in it or it cost the rich people tax.