Speeds continue to drop in 20mph zones, says Council
The City of Edinburgh Council say speeds continue to drop in 20 mile per hour zones, with a possible expansion of the scheme on the horizon
The City of Edinburgh Council says "positive effects" of the citywide network of 20mph zones are continuing to be felt three years after it's roll-out.
A new report has found an overall drop in speeds in the areas, with the average down from 23.77mph in 2016 to 21.92mph last year.
65 streets were surveyed for the study.
For every 1mph fall in speed research has shown a 5% reduction in accidents, while accidents that occur at lower speeds tend to result in less severe injuries, demonstrating the significance of these changes.
Additionally, road traffic collisions have continued to fall since the 20mph roll-out. Analysis of data from the 36 months following the introduction of the 20mph network showed a 30% decrease in collisions compared to the 36 months before, resulting in a 31% reduction in casualties.
Councillor Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Convener said:
"The citywide network of 20mph speed limits was introduced to help create safer, more liveable streets. When the scheme was first introduced it was hugely controversial, but now it has been confirmed as the right decision.
"Research has shown that every 1mph fall in speed leads to a 5% reduction in accidents so it’s extremely encouraging that the latest evaluation of 20mph streets shows speeds are continuing to come down.
"As Transport Convener I am committed to achieving Vision Zero, where traffic fatalities and severe injuries are eliminated, so that traffic collisions are also falling is reassuring too. Safer speeds, along with improved infrastructure, are essential to supporting safer, sustainable travel by foot, wheel and bike, as well as creating people-friendly streets.
"I hope the Transport and Environment Committee will agree to my plan to consult residents on the biggest and boldest expansion to Edinburgh's 20mph network since the scheme was introduced. We've taken a data driven approach to decide which streets to include, and now we will listen to residents. Our approach has one aim - saving lives."