New data shows 20mph speed limits linked to fewer road injuries

The number of people injured and killed on Welsh roads has dropped significantly since the speed limit on most 30mph roads was reduced to 20mph, according to new figures.

Provisional data from the Welsh government reveals that the number of casualties from collisions on 20 and 30mph roads in Wales fell by more than a quarter from January to March this year compared to the same period last year.

The figures show there were 377 casualties in the first quarter of this year, a 26% reduction from 510 in the same period in 2023.

The latest statistics are also 19% lower than those recorded in the previous quarter, October to December 2023, when there were 463 casualties.

This significant decline is being attributed to the Welsh Labour government’s introduction of default 20mph speed limits on restricted roads last September.

These roads, typically residential or busy pedestrian areas with streetlights, previously had a 30mph limit.

A closer look at the figures shows a 23% drop in the number of people killed and seriously injured in 20 and 30mph zones, from 101 in the first quarter of 2023 to 78 in the same period this year.

Fatalities in these areas decreased from 11 to five, marking a 55% decline. Additionally, slight injuries on these roads fell from 409 to 299, a 27% reduction.

In the first quarter of 2024, there were 316 road collisions on 20 and 30mph roads, including five fatal, 69 serious, and 242 slight incidents.

This represents a 17% decrease from the previous quarter (379 collisions) and a 25% drop compared to the same quarter in 2023 (421 collisions).

The total number of police-reported collisions on all Welsh roads from January to March this year was 606, which is 18% lower than the previous quarter (737) and 17% lower than the same quarter last year (733).

It is important to note that these statistics only account for road collisions reported by the police that resulted in personal injury.

A Welsh government spokesperson commented, “We expect data to fluctuate over the next few years as drivers adjust to the new speed. We’ve still got a way to go but every casualty reduced makes a difference.

“The principal objective of the policy has always been to reduce casualties and help people feel safer in their communities and today’s data reinforces we’re on the way to achieving this.”