Wales becomes UK's first nation with 20mph default speed limit

Wow, I'm kinda surprised they are being so straight up with the move to get drivers off the roads!

I'd love to know what mental health benefits they expect to see from forcing people to slow down. All it does is make people more frustrated.

There a good many local 20mph limits in England, but largely confined to housing-estates and near schools. Whether a national limit would be wanted or practical is another matter - it might not reduce exhaust and brake-dust pollution if it forces much more low-gear and stop-go driving.

It could also make impatient drivers even worse, compromising the intended safety advantage.

It's all very well encouraging people to cycle or walk but that only works for trips practical or perhaps enjoyable to make in that way. Many live too far from their work or their main shops to be able to leave the car at home, cannot work at home, and might not have suitable bus services as a sensible alternative. Many parents are afraid to let their offspring walk or cycle to school; possibly more so in Winter.

I worked for a company once accessible from home by frequent buses and a moderately short walk - then it was moved to a rural location necessitating a 24-mile round-drive when the bus services to it finally ended as more employees on the same route opted to drive. The railway-station I did need use occasionally, was a three-quarter hour walk away and used by trains having very few cycle spaces.

One big chicken coming home to roost is the 1970s policy of encouraging huge out-of-town shopping areas, and this continues despite the supermarkets' policy always was to encourage only car-bound shoppers who can buy trolley-fulls at a time. (An acquaintance who worked for a supermarket-equipment manufacturer, once told me they originally also designed the shops to deter anyone else, such as the elderly or disabled.)

Will this new speed-limit work as intended? Only time will tell. Other governments may well be watching very closely to see if it does, before making their minds up.

@trackboy Trust you to wade in with offensive comments suggesting murdering people in what to you is a foreign country you nothing about.

You obviously did not even read Senghenydd's original post properly. He explains who created the regulation, why, and where it applies.

As for God... I am not on PM terms with Him, but I would imagine He intends people to live, not be fatally injured by out-of-control motorists exceeding a statutory speed-limit. Especially in areas where you do not need and often cannot, drive fast anyway.

@Virgo79 A lot of people take that cynical view, conveniently forgetting that the extra "revenue" is only from people who break a clear regulation. In other words, people who might accidentally or more especially choose, to make themselves liable to a speeding fine.

We used to have a lot speed-cameras on the roads, until (allegedly), the government, or more likely the Home Office or Treasury, which are a-political, decided to collect the fines but make the county-councils continue to pay for the equipments' upkeep from their local taxes. So some Councils at least simply stopped servicing the cameras!

I do say "allegedly" - and I have also heard in some areas that has been reversed, putting the instruments back in action.

They do seem to work though!

Those are spot-speed recorders, but our motorways also have average-speed cameras in some places; particularly on the so-called "managed" ones that have illuminated signs displaying temporary speed limits and sometimes lane-closures to ease congestion ahead or for safety past road-works. It is noticeable that the majority of drivers do obey them pretty closely; and one reason for that might be the number of vehicles now fitted with cruise-control. Although that is set by the driver, it reduces the temptation to edge over the limit; and it also keeps the following drivers to the limit if they cannot overtake.

I never realised sheep could move that fast 😂😂😋🐑

Last I checked people couldn't walk 20 mph. How do they figure lowering the speed limit will get people to increase both their commute time and effort required to make their commute by walking rather than driving?

the UK is so backwards these days, they might as well go back to horse & carriage...

20 mph!? I'm not sure my cars can go that slow. Even with my foot off the gas it would probably be going 30 mph![media=https://youtu.be/wREBD2og5iY]

Need flag person walking in front of each conveyance.

These are very good news. In Europe, about 20,000 people are killed in a road crash every year. Establishing a speed limit of 20mph (=30kmh) would greatly increase the safety of all people in our streets.

Speeds ⬇️
Road Rage ⬆️

We've had a 20mph speed limit in our town for a few years. It's fair to say it's divided opinion but I think it's fine.

😂😂 more government control. Shocked i tell thee

You’ll be getting a fine for walking too fast soon, and another fine for farting too much, it’s the environment you know

Doesn't make sense in my part of the world. We need to move fast or we end up not earning enough to beat the interest on our loans!! 😀

it is time to shoot as many pigs 🐖 as you can as its the pigs that came up with this instance plan@@@

Newyddion da iawn!

The main roads through my estate have been 20mph for years.
Does anyone take any notice?
No...not even the cops!

I don’t get it.

They can reduce the speed limit all they want , but if they dont put in infrastructure for bikes and busses and such , it wont make people use their cars less.

We have a 40kmph limit in some states in aus for residential roads and urban and city streets, and all the bikes do is cause angst and agression as bushbikes arent registered . So if a pushbiker clips your mirror or scratches your car, youre screwed .

We have so much road agression between pushbikers and other vehicles.

It is safer for pedestrians though.
I've heard of a few near misses , even collisions that could have been fatal, but weren't.