Buckinghamshire Council has concluded that there is insufficient evidence to support funding a general policy of reducing 30 mph speed limits to 20 mph across the region.
At a meeting on the 24th November it was agreed that 20 mph speed limits should therefore be funded by the applicants, meaning the town or parish councils wanting to implement them.
While it’s acknowledged that Thames Valley Police is generally supportive of such a speed reduction policy, and further that it is popular with many residents, the council says that the lack evidence for the benefits means the substantial costs are not justified.
In a motion to Council regarding 20 mph speed limits, it was stated that: “Research by the Department for Transport shows that there has only been a small reduction in median speed (less than 1mph) where these have been introduced.
“There is also insufficient evidence to conclude that there has been a significant change in collisions and casualties following the introduction of 20mph limits in residential areas. Evidence suggests that average speeds tend to fall to compliant levels only on roads where previous average speeds were already low, i.e., around 24 mph.”
It was also noted that should any 20 mph limits be introduced, no expectation should be generated on Thames Valley Police or Buckinghamshire Council to enforce them.
Neighbouring Oxfordshire County Council found that to replace 30 mph limits with 20 mph limits county-wide would cost in the region of £8 million.
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