Summary
Many drivers find it difficult to stay within 20mph speed limits on roads where these limits are in place. A significant number of tickets are issued for speeding in 20mph zones across Great Britain. The adoption of 20mph speed limits is growing in the UK and Europe, with various towns and cities implementing these lower speed limits on their roads.
Key Facts
- Drivers in Great Britain received nearly half a million tickets for breaking 20mph speed limits last year.
- In London, over half of the roads now have a 20mph speed limit.
- Leeds is planning to set many roads to 20mph as part of a road safety strategy called "Vision Zero 2040."
- The UK's first 20mph limit was introduced in 1991 in Sheffield, and the law was later changed to allow easier implementation of such zones.
- Wales briefly implemented 20mph limits in built-up areas in 2023 but partially reverted to 30mph limits on some roads.
- The introduction of 20mph speed limits aims to reduce road deaths and serious injuries.
- Across Europe, similar speed limits of around 19mph are becoming more common.
