Speed limit shock

26th June 2007

Portsmouth City Council recently announced it was taking advantage of Government legislation which allows local authorities to ditch 30mph limits for slower ones on streets where people live.

The Hampshire town is the first to make the move, but Auto Express spoke to other regional bodies and discovered it won’t be the last. A Manchester City Council spokeswoman said: “Our aim is to introduce 20mph zones in all residential areas, with the priority to have them near schools.” Aberdeen’s civic leaders cut the speed limit in the city’s main shopping precinct last August. A spokesman told us it already had many 20mph zones in residential areas, yet added: “There’s no plan to extend those to offer blanket coverage, but we’ll watch what’s going on in Portsmouth very carefully.” A spokesman for Leeds City Council said it was interested in developments in Hampshire.

The point of 20mph zones is to try to cut casualty rates among all pedestrians and cyclists, but especially children. Portsmouth officials believe it will lower average speeds by up to 4mph.