New 20MPH law becomes active

Many sections of roads in Wrexham that were formally 30MPH zones are now 20MPH from this morning.

The move, that has been described as the ‘biggest step-change in community safety in a generation’, has been much trailed provoking a range of opinion from those strongly against on social media to others who appear not bothered.

As we have previously reported at length the 20MPH law will be a blanket application across Wales, however there are roads that locally will be made exempt, and others where they were perhaps 40mph previously and subject to a local change down to 30mph so they will require special treatment.

Welsh Government say Wrexham Council should have been conducting ‘communications and engagement in communities’ around those exemptions to the new law, with a £800k Welsh Government campaign live over the last few months. As you will be thus well informed on which roads will be affected, and which will not, in Wrexham so we will not repeat the information here.

Locally around 350 signs have needed replacement and 100 signs have been removed.

Welsh Government say of the new law: “From 17th September, when you see streetlights, assume that the speed limit is 20mph, unless you see signs that say otherwise. These streets will generally be residential or built up areas where people and vehicles mix.”

They add that the reason for the new law is that it will save lives:

The evidence from around the world is very clear – reducing speed reduces collisions and saves lives.

In the distance you can stop a car travelling at 20mph, a 30mph car would still be doing 24mph. And when someone is hit at 30mph, they are around 5 times more likely to be killed than when hit at 20mph.

A public health study estimates that the move to 20mph speed limits will result, every year in Wales, in:

40% fewer collisions
6-10 lives saved
1,200 to 2000 people avoiding injury
This would save around £92 million in prevention during the first year alone.