20mph speed limit “single most significant change we’ve ever seen,” says Cycling UK as data reveals 100 fewer people killed or seriously injured on Welsh roads since change – but Conservatives slam “confusion and frustration for drivers”

The news that around 100 fewer people killed or seriously injured on 20 and 30mph roads in Wales in the first full year since the Welsh government’s introduction of widespread 20mph speed limits has been branded “proof that slower speeds on our roads save lives” by Cycling UK.

The national cycling charity also called on the rest of the country to implement similar lower urban speed limits, describing the Welsh government’s policy as the “single most significant and positive change we’ve ever seen in any nation in the UK”, while the former transport minister behind the initiative argued that it “represents the most successful road safety intervention in modern times”.

However, despite the promising figures, the speed limit reduction continues to be criticised by the Labour government’s political opponents, as the Conservative’s shadow transport secretary in Wales claimed the drop in casualties on Welsh roads doesn’t “tell the whole story”, and that the scheme continues to “frustrate and confuse” motorists.

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In September 2023, amid widespread political debate and acrimony, the Welsh government introduced a default 20mph speed limit on urban and residential roads (where most, though not all, dropped from 30mph), increasing the approximately 870km of 20mph roads in Wales to 13,000km.

Earlier this week, new road casualty figures were published for the third quarter of 2024, from July to September, allowing for analysis of the statistics of the first full year of the 20mph scheme.

During that three-month period, there were 410 road casualties from road collisions on 20 and 30mph roads, three of which resulted in fatalities, 90 serious injuries, and 317 “slight” casualties.

This marked a 35 per cent drop in road casualties compared to the same quarter in 2023, and represents the lowest casualty figures for a three-month period since records began in 1979.

Meanwhile, during the 12-month period from October 2023 to September 2024, the total number of collisions was 26 per cent lower than the same period the previous year, before the 20mph limit was introduced. The number of people injured also dropped by 28 per cent, while ten fewer people were killed on Welsh roads.

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Responding to the figures, Cycling UK’s Wales lead, Gwenda Owen, said in a statement: “Having looked at road safety stats for over 10 years, I can confidently say this is the single most significant and positive change we've ever seen in any nation in the UK.

“It’s proof that slower speeds on our roads save lives. It also means more people having the freedom to make their journey by foot or by bike, because it’s safer to do it, which in turn can lead to a healthier, and more sustainable Wales.

“The Welsh Government’s determination to get 20mph as a default over the line should be a beacon for the rest of the UK as it clearly demonstrates how we can save lives and make our roads safer.

“Whilst 20mph is an essential part of the mix, we also need to continue to build high quality infrastructure so that cycling can be an easy an obvious option for everyday travel – particularly for women, children, and less confident riders.”

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This stance was echoed by Labour MS Lee Waters, the transport secretary at the time of the scheme’s introduction, who urged the reduced limit’s political opponents, even from within his own party, against undermining “this excellent progress”.

“We can now say with confidence that in its first year the speed limit reduction represents the most successful road safety intervention in modern times,” Waters said.

“As we said in advance, a little bit slower but a whole lot better. We need to make sure we now don’t undermine this excellent progress.”

“These stats show how 20mph is saving lives, leading to fewer collisions, deaths, and serious injuries,” First Minister Eluned Morgan said.

“We must get the right speeds on the right roads, but to see these figures falling is positive.”

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However, despite the promising road safety figures, question marks continue to hang over the future of Wales’ default 20mph speed limit on residential roads, as several councils currently consider whether more roads could be switched back to 30mph.

Meanwhile, the Welsh government has also commissioned a five-year review of the policy, which will include a cost and benefit assessment of the impact of the speed limit on the Welsh economy.

As we reported last year, when road safety stats were issued for the first quarter of 2021, the government urged some caution about interpreting the data over a short time period, noting quarterly figures “can be volatile” and that “the number of quarterly road collisions in Wales has generally been declining steadily over the last decade”.

Nevertheless, current transport secretary Ken Skates said this week: “We know there is a way to go and we’ve always said it will take a number of years to see the full impact of the policy but to see the figures for this quarter at their lowest level is positive.”

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However, the Conservative shadow secretary for transport, Peter Fox, claimed that – despite causality numbers dropping – the party still held concerns about the policy, and argued that a “more sensible” approach should be adopted.

“While we welcome any decrease in road casualties, these figures don’t tell the whole story. Our concern remains the way the 20mph speed limit has been implemented,” Fox said.

“The Welsh Labour government’s default approach has created confusion and frustration for drivers and their current review must address these implementation issues and ensure a more sensible and effective approach.”