2024-08-26 11:44:00
August 26, 2024
The big change came in September 2023 when Wales decided to reduce its speed limit from 30 mph (about 48 km/h) to 20 mph (about 30 km/h) on a number of selected local roads, generally close to localities. city residence. This measure aims to save 100 lives and prevent 20,000 victims of road accidents in the next ten years.
After almost a year of application, the time has come to take stock of the first preliminary data and the figures seem to support the process: slow speed, few victims.
During the first quarter of 2024, Welsh Police recorded 316 assaults on roads affected by the change. Of these, 5 were fatal, 69 serious and 242 minor. In general, the number of accidents on roads with limits of 20 or 30 mph is 17% lower than in the previous quarter and 25% lower than in the same quarter of 2023.
To justify this speed change, the Welsh Government was inspired by the Spanish model, where a limit of 30 km/h was imposed on this type of road in 2019. Since then, Spain has reported 20% fewer deaths on urban roads. road, with a 34% reduction in cyclist deaths and a 24% reduction in pedestrian deaths.
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