Labour - Londons Mayor candidate - 20mph in the capital

[robinessex]

Following the New York mayor, Bill de Blasio, is marking his first year in power by reducing the speed limit in the city to 25mph, the new mayoral labour candidate, Christian Wolmar, dares to go one better, and make the whole of the capital a 20mph zone. I thought that was virtually the maximum anyway with the congestion. Obviously, he's absolutely no fatual data to indicate this is the solution to traffic accidents in London, but that's not stopping him.

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/nov/...

[ferrariF50lover]

So, 1700 deaths on the roads in the UK every year. Of which, perhaps 10% are in London. Of which perhaps 10% are caused solely by speed. Of which perhaps 10% are caused by drivers doing greater than 20mph, but less than 30mph.

1700/10/10/10 = 1.7 deaths per year saved by this change, which, inevitably, will cost £100,000,000 by the time we've had reviews and planning meetings and health and safety reviews and judicial reviews and changed all the signs and what not, not to mention the increased fuel consumption and noise and whatever else. All for 1.7 lives per year. You could save more lives by scrapping all the speed cameras. I'll bet at least two people a year are killed by people paying more attention to their speedo than the road ahead as they go through an average speed zone or similar.

Daft, attention seeking, totally empty promise/threat designed to win votes with the unthinking. Standard Labour Party, essentially.

Simon.

[NicD]

God, I hope not, limiting our speed to 20mph takes both concentration and patience. A real mindfk.

[Poopipe]

20mph is precisely the wrong speed in every car ive owned.

2nd is too noisy, 3rd means labouring and/or too little control - plus you're within 1-2 mph of keen cyclists and cant make quick safe overtakes . Also a lot of speedos dont register properly at speeds that low.

Plus emissions.

I predict that if this happens everyone on the road will die in a crash and everyone near the road will choke on diesel fumes and die

[Gruber]

ferrariF50lover said:

Daft, attention seeking, totally empty promise/threat designed to win votes with the unthinking. Standard Labour Party, essentially.

Simon.

What? Like that wally Miliband wearing a t-shirt for women who like women, made by women in a sweatshop? As if they'd be so stupid. Oh... Hang on...

You're on form tonight Mr F50.

[Welshbeef]

Plenty of vehicles have no 20mph marking on the speedo - how are they supposed to not break the speed limit ? Or is it a case of maximum speed is 20mph so just stick to driving round in 1st and you should be ok..

[Debaser]

20mph?

[jonah35]

Let's limit all driving including motorways to 10mph. Would certainly make them safer.

Does anyone think about time and economy and business needs.

[jonah35]

Let's limit all driving including motorways to 10mph. Would certainly make them safer.

Does anyone think about time and economy and business needs.

[RemyMartin]

On the plus side, Arab supercar owners will be forced to drive around in first gear.

[Snollygoster]

Bristol got changed to 20mph. No one does it.

Just a waste of money putting all the new signs up.

[Debaser]

Will the 20mph limit apply to people on foot, or only when they are in a vehicle?

[Debaser]

The Guardian said:

The 30mph speed limit in urban areas was devised at a time when death on the roads was an accepted part of daily life.

Deaths on the road are still an accepted part of daily life.

[Welshbeef]

Debaser said:

Will the 20mph limit apply to people on foot, or only when they are in a vehicle?

Lol I hire its possible to sprint Usain Blot a speeding running ticket

or cyclists what about them, where I live there is a 30mph but a steep downhill I hold 30 mph they undertake in the cycling lane some by a fair rate of knots and go on to drift through red lights..

[valiant]

Christian Wolmar is hoping to selected as Labour's mayoral candidate for London's mayor. A decision on who it will be hasn't been decided yet.

To be honest he has as much chance of becoming mayor as I have so I wouldn't worry to much yet although some local councils are trying to get it implemented in their own boroughs but it won't apply to Tfl controlled routes.

[BlackLabel]

Debaser said:

Will the 20mph limit apply to people on foot, or only when they are in a vehicle?

Is that you Usain?

[Timfy]

Snollygoster said:

Bristol got changed to 20mph. No one does it.

Just a waste of money putting all the new signs up.

Unfortunately it's now enforceable, and surprise! Static speed cameras to be turned back on...


Selective, well considered 20mph zones (outside schools, and high risk areas such as high streets with a lot of pedestrians crossing and vehicles parking etc) I'm all for, 30mph is adequate and more than safe in most other urban areas if you're paying attention.

Blanket 20mph zones like we have in Bristol are just pathetic and serve no purpose other than to inconvenience everybody to the point they're gemerally ignored- even in those places where there may be a genuine justification for a smaller, properly targeted 20mph zone on safety grounds.

[otolith]

Isn't Wolmar a long-time journalist and campaigner for just about any transport as long as it isn't a car?

[Leins]

Centre of Dublin has had an 18mph limit for a good few years. It is almost impossible to continuously drive to, is largely ignored, but occasionally enforced

[anonymous-user]

So, you introduce a "Blanket" 20mph limit. How do you now highlight danger zones within that limit to drivers? Do schools etc now need a 10mph limit?


(ie, people get used to ignoring the 20mph limit, because, for 99.9999999% of their driving, it's too slow and inappropriate, so when they get to that 0.0000001% place, they are doing 28mph without realising. And once again, respect for speed limits is eroded further and further. Add in the fact you can drive a modern car at 20mph without paying the slightest bit of attention whatsoever to the road in front of you, and i foresee accidents increasing, not decreasing......)