They have been trialled and now they are part of Welsh motoring law – Wales now has a default 20mph speed limit on most roads in residential and built-up areas.
These controversial new 20mph speed limits quietly came into law in the middle of September, with the Welsh Senedd claiming that they will reduce road deaths and noise, and encourage more people to walk or cycle for their daily commute.
The new limits have been highly unpopular. Despite support from those who have sadly lost loved ones in motoring accidents, ministers are now facing a petition against the new 20mph speed limits with around a quarter of a million signatures from Welsh residents. The issue remains a hotbed of discussion on the Senedd floor.
Beyond the politics, Welsh drivers – as well as anyone visiting Wales – will have many questions as to how these lower speed limits will affect them on a daily basis. Here’s what you need to know.
Why the change?
The Welsh government cites the successful implementation of 20mph (approximately 30km/h) limits in several European countries in recent years. It predicts that reducing the default speed limit to 20mph will lead to 40% fewer collisions on Welsh roads, and 1,200 to 2,000 people avoiding injury each year.
The government says the new policy will make streets safer for playing, walking and cycling, reduce pollution in built-up areas, and will encourage more people to walk or cycle instead of using the car.
If you live in Wales, you might have noticed that the government has recently been trialling new 20mph speed limits across the country. With those trials now complete, it reports that the average speed decreased by 3mph on those roads. It also argues that for every 1mph reduction in speed, the number of collisions in urdan environments reduces by an average of 6%.
Where is the 20mph speed limit in effect?
20mph is the new default speed limit, so if you are driving on a residential road with no speed signage, you must assume that the limit is 20mph.
However, it’s a bit more complicated than that. There are many roads across the country that are exempt from the new limits, and still have the old 30mph speed limit. They should have the correct signage in place by now, but this map will show you where those exemptions are.
Will we see more speed bumps installed in Wales?
Governments all over the world regularly use speed bumps (or ‘sleeping policemen’) to slow traffic in residential areas, and there has been concern that the lower speed limits will be accompanied by more of these traffic-calming measures.
The government says this won’t be the case, but we’ll have to wait and see.
Will I be fined for sticking to the old limit?
In short, yes. If you are caught driving 30mph on a 20mph residential road you could be pulled over by the police and, in theory, be fined a minimum £100 and get three penalty points.
The police have explained that they will be proportionate and reasonable for the first 12 months, although this is obviously not an excuse to ignore the new speed limits.
“We won’t be taking enforcement action against those people who are actually engaging with us and trying to bring their speed down”, says South Wales Police assistant chief constable Mark Travis, “so they won’t receive a fine.”
Speed cameras in Wales, which are operated by a company called GoSafe, have been adjusted to reflect the new speed limit. The company has announced that its cameras will only penalise those driving at 26mph and over while the public get used to the change. Again, that’s not an excuse to exceed the speed limit, and the old excuse about “my speedometer said I was under the limit” won’t fly…
Will the lowering of the speed limit add to my journey times?
This is the key point of criticism brought forward by the petition, which suggests the scheme will cause ‘absolute carnage’ on the roads. While that language may be a touch strong, it’s obvious that driving at 20mph rather than 30mph will mean journeys take longer.
The Welsh government strongly refutes this (which suggests ministers have a different understanding of how maths works from the rest of us). It argues that a similar policy in Spain, which reduced limits to 20mph on single carriageways, had no such effect.
Why are bicycles allowed to overtake me when I am driving at 20mph?
The Highway Code in Wales has been updated so that the default speed limit for motorists is 20mph, but this does not include cyclists. Strictly speaking, there is no speed limit for cyclists, and so they are free to overtake cars in 20mph zones.
For more information, check out the guidance page on the Welsh Government website.
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