Chances of new 20mph limits for Dorset are low
Government guidelines says most areas should be 30mph unless there are 'substantial safety concerns'
Last updated 21st Apr 2022
The chances of new 20mph limits for Dorset is low – according to a Council report.
It says they often only work if successfully monitored or have physical measures to slow drivers – with Dorset Police favouring schemes where the lower limit can be achieved through engineering solutions.
The force guidelines say the lower limits should only be introduced where speeds are already close to the lower limit (24mph is suggested) and where they do not require “large scale enforcement.”
Other issues include the cost, the relatively slow legal process involved and Government guidelines which say most areas should be 30mph, unless there are “substantial safety concerns”.
The conclusions come despite evidence which suggests that lower speed limits not only help reduce fossil fuel emissions but also improve road safety, both reducing the severity of accidents and their frequency.
Dorset Council currently has £75,000 allocated each year for new 20mph schemes with a focus on the highest priority proposals, any projects beyond that have to be subject to a specific bidding process, or funded in other ways.
“A relatively simple scheme involving only lines and signs could be delivered in the region of £5,000, a far more complex scheme with traffic calming measures would be considerably more expensive,” said a report to councillors from the council’s road safety manager Tony Burden.