Source: European Transport Safety Council

Transport for London (TFL) has published a study which shows that the introduction of 20mph speed limit zones between the years of 1989 and 2013 led to significant reductions in collisions, injuries and deaths, particularly among more vulnerable road users, including children.

The study is based on data taken from 157 individual 20mph schemes and uses comparitive analysis against a control group of all London borough roads. The date range of 1989-2013 was selected to ensure availability of sufficient data before and after schemes were implemented, and to avoid any potential aberrations resulting from changes to injury definitions which were brought to formal reporting in 2016.

The results across all the schemes were consistently positive:

• Total collisions fell by 35% (compared to 12% in the control group)
• All casualties fell by 36%
• Overall fatal or serious injuries fell by 34%
• Child casualties dropped by 46%, and children killed by 75%
• Among people walking, cycling, or riding motorcycles, killed or seriously injured (KSI) figures fell by 28%

The study clearly demonstrates the benefits of lower speed limits for road safety, and aligns with findings from other UK cities including Bristol, Edinburgh and Portsmouth, alongside initial data following Wales’ implementation of a 20mph limit on restricted roads. As well as road safety, such schemes also have broader benefits for public health, the environment and the economy. Active travel is encouraged, air and noise pollution are reduced, and the healthcare and emergency costs associated with road injuries are reduced.

The TFL study supports a more widespread roll-out of 20mph schemes, as a part of London’s Vision Zero plan to eradicate deaths and serious injuries from its roads by 2041.

The full study can be read here.