Latest news with #30mph
BBC News
2 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Fourteen 20mph roads in Newport could revert to 30mph
The maximum speed limit on 14 roads in Newport is set to be changed back to 30mph from 20mph.A review of the Welsh government's 20mph speed limit was announced last year following a public default 20mph speed limit, covering 37% of the Welsh road network, was brought in by the Welsh government in September this year, Newport council said 16 stretches of road could revert back to 30mph. Transport Minister Ken Skates previously said the decision to reverse parts of the controversial £34m default 20mph policy was in response to "consistent" concerns raised by "a lot of people".Last July, the Welsh government gave councils more flexibility to assess the "movement" and "road characteristics" of specific routes, beyond just proximity to schools, hospital and other key March, the maximum speed limit on four busy roads in Cardiff was changed back to 30mph from 20mph, and in February it was announced more than 50 stretches of road in Wrexham would revert to comes as the data for the first year of the policy showed there had been about 100 fewer people killed or seriously injured on 20 and 30mph roads. Newport council invited residents to nominate roads they believed should have been exempted from the Welsh government's decision to lower the nation's default speed limit to of the public offered any objections or comments on those proposals, and the council received a total of 12 representations, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.A new report shows that after further consideration of the objectors' claims, the council decided two of the original 16 roads would remain at 20mph. One was a stretch of Caerphilly Road between Bassaleg and Rhiwderin, which an objector said now felt "safer for pedestrians".The council said a lower speed limit was "appropriate" for the road, which has "narrow footways" and was an "established walking route to school".The other road to remain at 20mph is a section of Usk Road to the east of objector also raised concerns the route was "well-used" by schoolchildren and people accessing the council said people "would feel unsafe about using the established route to walk to school safely" if the speed limit was increased to 30mph along a road which "carries a high pedestrian footfall, including young vulnerable children and the elderly". The council said "valid" objections were made in relation to other roads, but it judged those cases met the government's criteria for exemptions, meaning they may be changed to 30mph speed were a part of Bettws Lane, George Street Bridge, a part of Lighthouse Road, Tredegar House Drive, a part of Tregwilym Road, and Wharf were no valid objections to council proposals to introduce 30mph speed limits on the other roads - namely a part of Bassaleg Road, Duffryn Drive, Duffryn Way, Frederick Street, Morgan Way, a part of Royal Oak Hill, Wern Industrial Estate, and a part of West Nash Rhian Howells, cabinet member for assets and infrastructure, is expected to approve an officer's recommendation later this week to proceed with the speed limit changes on the agreed 14 stretches of announcement by Newport council follows a decision by Denbighshire and Monmouthshire council to reject calls to raise the default 20mph speed limit on a number of roads in the counties.
Auto Express
27-06-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Express
Almost half of UK drivers break the speed limit… and that's an improvement
Almost half of UK drivers are suspected of breaking the speed limit when driving in 30mph zones, according to the latest estimates from the Department for Transport (DfT). And while that may sound shocking, it's actually an improvement over the last few years. The Government doesn't seem to have much faith in the UK public's ability to adhere to speed limits, as official figures estimate that 43 per cent of drivers will speed in 30mph zones when there's free-flowing traffic and no speed cameras. Advertisement - Article continues below Although undeniably alarming, it's actually a significant step forward from 2017, when more than half of drivers (51 per cent) were thought to be straying over the limit in these circumstances. However, things are even worse when you consider 20mph zones, as the Government reckons the amount of people going faster than the law permits jumps up to around three-quarters (76 per cent), with 10 per cent of drivers exceeding the limit by more than 10mph. These figures haven't been pulled out of thin air; the DfT has created these estimates by using data collected from Automatic Traffic Counters (ATCs) – the discreet strips of wire you sometimes see stretched across the road. These obtain information such as the speed and volume of traffic and are typically placed away from bends and junctions to gather an accurate picture of how traffic is progressing. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below Speeding isn't exclusive to slower roads, either; 44 per cent of drivers are thought to exceed the limit on the motorway, although interestingly, this drops to just nine per cent in national speed limit zones on A and B roads. It's no surprise, then, that in 2024, a total of 205,522 drivers were found guilty of a speeding offence – an increase of 87 per cent since 2011 – with more than 1.8 million attending a speed awareness course last year. The most cited reason for speeding by offenders, according to the RAC's 2024 Report on Motoring, is that they were matching the speeds of others. However, a spokesperson for the National Police Chiefs Council told Auto Express: 'Driving in excess of the speed limit is a conscious decision. You can choose not to do it and many lives can be saved as a result. 'Thousands of people are killed or seriously injured on our roads each year as a result of excessive speed and for each one of those people there will be multiple friends, families and communities affected, so the true impact is almost impossible to quantify.' Come and join our WhatsApp channel for the latest car news and reviews... Find a car with the experts New Volvo EX60 electric SUV: latest details and confirmed reveal date New Volvo EX60 electric SUV: latest details and confirmed reveal date The upcoming, all-electric Volvo XC60 alternative is designed to 'keep learning and evolve with time' BYD and Octopus Energy team up for 'all-inclusive' EV deal BYD and Octopus Energy team up for 'all-inclusive' EV deal Octopus' 'Power Pack Bundle' includes a leased BYD, a wallbox charger and charging all for less than £300 per month New Skoda Epiq baby SUV could be a Tardis on wheels New Skoda Epiq baby SUV could be a Tardis on wheels The new Skoda Epic will sit below the Elroq and Enyaq in the brand's ever-expanding SUV range and is set to offer plenty of space despite its compact …
