20 MPH Legislation

We know that where people and cars interact most, lives are saved by slower speeds. We often find thinking of the children in our lives can put a debate such as this one into perspective.

University Hospital of Wales’ Paediatric Emergency Consultant, Dr David Hanna confirmed lately that road traffic accidents are the largest cause of serious injury in children. International evidence also shows that on average, a person is around five times more likely to be killed when hit by a vehicle travelling at 30mph compared to 20mph.

North Wales Police have provided us with data regarding the number of people killed or injured between 01.01.21 and 31.08.23 in Gwynedd within 30 mph zone:

Fatalities: 4
Serious injuries: 46
Slight injuries: 137

We can only wonder whether those deaths and injuries might not have happened under the new speed restrictions.

We must also consider the positive impact on day-to-day lives, as the reduction to 20 will create a better lived environment for local residents. As an MP and MS we often receive complaints of speeding in towns and villages that not only cause noise pollution, but can lead to a great deal of anxiety for older and more vulnerable people.

We understand, however, that there are roads where this lower speed will not be appropriate, and exemptions are possible in locations deemed appropriate by local authorities. We understand Gwynedd have 85 exemptions, for example. We’re glad to say that a Plaid Cymru amendment was passed in the Senedd recently that stated it needed to be made easier for those exemptions to be put in place in areas where 20 mph isn’t appropriate and that the Welsh government must continuously review the impact of new limits, empower local authorities to make any further exemptions and provide local authorities with adequate funding to facilitate the introduction of new limits. We urge the Labour Government to act on the Plaid Cymru motion.

We are disheartened to see the Conservatives deliberately misrepresenting this policy – a policy which many Conservative MSs vocally supported before the last Senedd election. It seems that this issue has developed into the Conservative’s latest culture war, stoked to create outrage to draw attention away from the UK Government’s economic incompetence and general mismanagement.

Plaid Cymru Dwyfor Meirionnydd The Rt Hon. Liz Saville Roberts MP and Mabon ap Gwynfor MS