20mph speed limit is about saving lives, not raising revenue through fines

The chance of a pedestrian being killed if hit by a car travelling at 30mph is more than five times greater than a car doing 20mph

The 30mph speed limit for urban streets was set in 1934, so it’s something we’ve become accustomed to. However, in recent years, 20mph limits have been introduced in various parts of the UK, including Edinburgh.

This change has not been uncontroversial. Some of the choices of roads covered by the lower limit have been poor – 20mph is reasonable for a quiet residential street where children sometimes play, but not for a wider, busier road.

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There is also the question of whether the restrictions are being enforced by police. According to new figures, only 18 fines for breaking the 20mph speed limit in Edinburgh have been issued since 2021.

The speed limit in Edinburgh’s urban streets was lowered to 20mph between 2016 and 2018 (Picture: Phil Wilkinson)The speed limit in Edinburgh’s urban streets was lowered to 20mph between 2016 and 2018 (Picture: Phil Wilkinson)
The speed limit in Edinburgh’s urban streets was lowered to 20mph between 2016 and 2018 (Picture: Phil Wilkinson) | PHIL WILKINSON / TSPL STAFF

‘A council stunt’?

This prompted Miles Briggs, the Conservative MSP for the Lothians, to say that the law was “clearly not policed”, and that “it seems accusations of it being merely a council stunt are now pretty much justified”.

However, if police were fining large numbers of motorists for minor speeding offences, it’s highly likely the complaints would be far louder. The purpose of the 20mph limits is not to raise revenue through fines but, like the seatbelt law, to change driver behaviour.

There are good reasons for 20mph instead of 30mph. According to a study cited by the Royal Society for the Prevent of Accidents, there is a 1.5 per cent chance of an adult pedestrian being killed if they are hit by a car travelling at 20mph, but an 8 per cent chance – more than five times higher – at 30mph.

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Fewer casualties

A study on the effects of the Edinburgh 20mph limits, published this year in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, found a 10 per cent reduction in casualties on streets that changed to 20mph, compared to those that stayed at 30mph.

It also reported that citywide casualties had fallen by 17 per cent three years after the limits were introduced, suggesting a wider beneficial effect than in just the affected streets.

Most people are law-abiding and no driver wants to be involved in a fatal accident. It is clear that 20mph limits have a place on Scotland’s streets – providing they’re in the right locations.

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