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Should the UK introduce 25mph limits?
Regarding the debate about blanket 20mph zones. It's absolutely fair enough near schools but am I the only one who thinks a blanket 20mph seems overly slow on a clear, currently 30mph road? I asked this of my MP a while ago suggesting 25mph is a reasonable balance - slow, with a short stopping distance but still making progress to a destination. This is also close to the 40kph limit on very many roads in Europe and elsewhere and there must be lots of data showing decent gains from 40kph over 50kph.
The reply to my MP from the DoT was:
'In introducing a speed limit of 25mph we would need to consider the disadvantage that too many different limits could confuse drivers, so raising risks for all road users.'
Americans on their busy roads can manage lots of 5mph variations, starting at 25mph (and different limits when crossing States) and no doubt other countries can, so it seems a bit of an odd reply and is maybe suggesting that we Brits are a bit thick.
25mph has to be something that people would more readily see as reasonable compared with the very slow feeling 20mph. I sometimes wonder if our 10mph speed steps are overly simplistic compared to metric countries but would you agree it's reasonable to at least consider 25mph where blanket limits are necessary. And surely these would stand out being the only 5mph limit signs - and there are lots of ways to make them more noticeable and avoid any potential confusion?
The reply to my MP from the DoT was:
'In introducing a speed limit of 25mph we would need to consider the disadvantage that too many different limits could confuse drivers, so raising risks for all road users.'
Americans on their busy roads can manage lots of 5mph variations, starting at 25mph (and different limits when crossing States) and no doubt other countries can, so it seems a bit of an odd reply and is maybe suggesting that we Brits are a bit thick.
25mph has to be something that people would more readily see as reasonable compared with the very slow feeling 20mph. I sometimes wonder if our 10mph speed steps are overly simplistic compared to metric countries but would you agree it's reasonable to at least consider 25mph where blanket limits are necessary. And surely these would stand out being the only 5mph limit signs - and there are lots of ways to make them more noticeable and avoid any potential confusion?
Asked on 14 February 2025 by Sven How
Answered by
David Ross
This is an interesting question. How fast 20mph 'feels' is a subjective opinion and is influenced by a number of factors as well as being individual to the particular driver. Someone driving along a wide, smooth, clear road free of parked vehicles in a brand-new Range Rover will have a very different perception of 20mph to someone in a Caterham driving along a busy and bumpy urban street with cars parked on either side, but the important point is that the physics remain the same regardless of perception.
The US does use increments of 5mph as well as 10mph, but it is important to note the vast difference in scale of the country compared to the UK and that speed limits are generally uniform within a particular state, so drivers are less likely to encounter a wide mix of limits unless they are travelling between states.
Whether a 25mph limit is a reasonable compromise over a 20mph is a matter of opinion. It could be argued that the potential reduction in deaths and injuries achieved by reducing limits from 30mph to 25mph would be marginal compared to reducing them to 20mph, whereas the cost of implementing the change would likely be exactly the same. A 10mph limit could potentially reduce deaths and injuries still further, but would represent a 66% reduction in the maximum speed from 30mph while a 20mph limit is a 33% reduction, and arguably represents a reasonable compromise between safety and journey times.
The US does use increments of 5mph as well as 10mph, but it is important to note the vast difference in scale of the country compared to the UK and that speed limits are generally uniform within a particular state, so drivers are less likely to encounter a wide mix of limits unless they are travelling between states.
Whether a 25mph limit is a reasonable compromise over a 20mph is a matter of opinion. It could be argued that the potential reduction in deaths and injuries achieved by reducing limits from 30mph to 25mph would be marginal compared to reducing them to 20mph, whereas the cost of implementing the change would likely be exactly the same. A 10mph limit could potentially reduce deaths and injuries still further, but would represent a 66% reduction in the maximum speed from 30mph while a 20mph limit is a 33% reduction, and arguably represents a reasonable compromise between safety and journey times.
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