Department for Transport
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Local authorities given further support to make roads safer
Updated speed limit guidance to help local authorities improve safety on their roads was published for consultation today by Road Safety Minister Mike Penning.
The guidance provides up-to-date advice to aid greater
consistency of speed limits on local roads across England. It
incorporates recent changes that have increased flexibility for
local authorities to implement 20mph limits and zones where it can
be shown that they benefit road safety and quality of life.
It also gives authorities more information about the new
speed limit appraisal web tool which will help authorities fully
assess the impact of any change to a speed limit in their area.
Road Safety Minister Mike Penning said:
“It is vital that speed limits are suitable for local
conditions and councils are best placed to determine what these
limits are, based on local knowledge and the views of the
community.
“To help, we are publishing updated guidance for
consultation. This includes a number of initiatives we have
introduced to improve road safety, including making it easier for
local authorities and communities to put in place 20 mph schemes,
or use common-sense measures such as variable speed limits outside
schools.
"Road safety is a top priority and the guidance -
along with the speed limit appraisal web tool - will help councils
make evidence based decisions to introduce local speed limits that
reflect the needs of all road users."
The revision of the guidance and the introduction of an
economic tool to help authorities assess the full costs and
benefits of any proposed schemes were a commitment in the
Department for Transport's Strategic Framework for Road
Safety published last year.
The guidance is aimed at local authorities in England. The
consultation document can be found at: http://www.dft.gov.uk/consultations/dft-2012-32.
The final guidance is expected to be published by the end of the
year.
The web tool, also to be launched later this year, is being
developed with input from road safety groups and local authorities.
Notes to Editors
1. This guidance is to be used for setting all local speed limits
on single and dual carriageway roads in both urban and rural
areas. Local traffic authorities are responsible for determining
speed limits on the local road network.
2. The objectives of this guidance are:
· the provision of up-to-date and consistent advice to traffic authorities;
· improved clarity which will aid greater consistency of speed limits across the country;
· enabling the setting of more appropriate local speed limits, including lower or higher limits where conditions dictate;
· achieving local speed limits that better reflect the needs of all road users, not just motorised vehicles;
· ensuring improved quality of life for local communities and a better balance between road safety, accessibility and environmental objectives, especially in rural communities;
· improved recognition and understanding by road users of the risks involved on different types of road, the speed limits that apply, and the reasons why;
· improved respect for speed limits, and in turn improved compliance; and
· continued reductions in the number of road traffic collisions,
injuries and deaths in which excessive or inappropriate speed is a
contributory factor.
3. The key factors that are taken into account in any
decisions on local speed limits are:
· history of collisions, including frequency, severity, types and causes;
· road geometry and engineering (e.g. bends, junctions, barriers);
· presence of vulnerable road users;
· road function;
· existing traffic speeds; and
· road environment, including level of road-side development and
possible impacts on residents (e.g. severance, noise, or air
quality).
4. We are not seeking views in this consultation on the
national limits of 30mph on street lit roads, 60mph on single
carriageway roads and 70mph on dual carriageways and motorways.
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