Advisory council urges England to adopt 20mph default limit

A national advisory body has recommended making 20mph the default speed limit for built-up areas across England, arguing it would reduce administrative costs and simplify road safety policy. The proposal was presented to the House of Commons Transport Select Committee by the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS) as part of its input into the government's new Road Safety Strategy.

Jamie Hassall, executive director of PACTS, told the committee that the current system of implementing 20mph limits piecemeal is expensive and inefficient, requiring extensive signage and paperwork. He advocated for a national approach where 20mph becomes the standard, with local authorities retaining the power to increase limits in specific areas if they deem it necessary. Hassall stated this would be a cheaper and more sensible way forward than the existing guidance.

The advisory body also supports reducing national speed limits on single carriageways from 60mph to 50mph, and on dual carriageways from 70mph to 60mph where infrastructure would not support survivability in a collision.

Lower speed limits have been gaining traction across the UK. Wales implemented a default 20mph...