Rachel White, Head of Public Affairs

“We strongly support this campaign to reduce the default speed limit to 20mph in urban areas during the Covid-19 crisis. The majority of pedestrian and cycling injuries occur in built-up areas as a result of collisions with motor vehicles. And higher speed limits increase the chance of incidents and the severity of injuries from a collision."“Implementing a 20mph Emergency National Urban Limit will take pressure off the NHS during this time of crisis by preventing avoidable collisions, and will improve road safety for those who need to make essential journeys. We're hopeful that the benefits of lower speed limits will be realised during this time, and 20mph will remain the default long after this crisis is over."

Alice Roberts, Head of Green Space Campaigns

"20mph speed limits are vital alongside measures to reduce traffic and car dominance to make sure people can live safe, pollution-free, active lives"

David Harrison, Vice Chair London Living Streets

"London's streets are very different places from just a few weeks ago. We have fewer vehicles, some travelling much faster than before, and many more people either heading to the shops every day often on foot or cycling or taking their daily exercise and trying to stay carefully distanced from others. Often this means they have to step into the road to avoid others or they are walking and cycling in the road sometimes with children many of whom are scooting or cycling. In this environment it is vital that drivers play their part by moving slowly so as to keep others safe and free from intimidation.London Living Streets wholeheartedy supports our doctors' calls for an emergency urban speed limit of 20mph to keep everyone using the roads as safe as possible at this time."

Emma Griffin, Founder Action Vision Zero"

Action Vision Zero has been appalled at the way a minority of drivers have taken advantage of the emptier streets to drive at high speed. There are numerous reports of high speeds recorded not only on arterial roads but also in busy urban streets where people are increasingly reliant on walking and cycling to get shopping and for daily exercise. It is vital that we do not increase the burden on the NHS with preventable road crashes and doctors are right to point out that lowering the urban speed limit to 20mph is one action that the UK Government can take immediately. Please listen to the medics' calls and take this action as a matter of urgency."

Victoria Lebrec, Campaign Coordinator for RoadPeace, the national charity for road crash victims

"Increased speed makes a crash more likely to happen, and also increases the severity of a crash. Whilst less vehicles are on the  roads, traffic police in urban areas have reported seeing a significant increase in speeds. This comes at a time when key workers are walking and cycling as an alternative to public transport, and the NHS is already stretched as it readies itself to deal with the COVID-19 peak. Lowering the speed limit is crucial in order to minimise death and serious injury. Not only to prevent the tragedies they inherently are, but also so that no extra pressure is added to the health service at this time of crisis. Being seriously injured at this time inevitably means care will not be as it normally would, resources are detracted from dealing with the pandemic, and the victim runs the risk of contracting COVID-19."

Josh Harris, Director of Campaigns

“Alongside our friends at 20’s Plenty, Brake has long called for the national default urban limit to be reduced to 20mph – it’s the only safe speed for places where people are in close proximity to motor traffic. COVID-19 has altered the landscape of our communities and we’re seeing less motor traffic and more people walking and cycling on roads, getting daily exercise and adhering to social distancing. These are positive developments, giving us a glimpse of a safer and healthier future, but with disturbing reports of increased speeding, and a renewed impetus to ease the burden on our stretched emergency services and NHS, we need to do more to reduce road collisions. 20mph limits are a simple way to make our communities safer and healthier and so we support the emergency 20mph national urban limit but believe safe limits should be for life, not just for lockdown.”

Jenni Wiggle, Interim CEO, Living Streets

"Social distancing is an essential part of the COVID-19 response. However, keeping two metres apart on narrow and obstructed footpaths isn't easy and inevitably leads to people walking on the carriageway. There are fewer vehicles on our roads now that people are being encouraged to only take vital journeys. However, this has resulted in a minority of drivers taking advantage of lighter traffic to speed.

A move to a national limit of 20mph would not only increase road safety, but would make it easier for drivers to anticipate and respond to people in the road."

Tom Bogdanowicz, Senior Policy and Development Officer, London Cycling Campaign

"20mph has long been recommended by public health bodies for urban areas, as such a limit reduces air pollution and dangerous driving. We join the call to urgently implement a default 20mph urban speed limit during this crisis, particularly because so many keyworkers are now cycling to work, and many people are forced to keep their distance from others by using the carriageway, yet, sadly, some drivers are clocking up dangerous speeds resulting in unnecessary road anger to others. Reducing road danger and unnecessary driving are vital all the time, but particularly during this pandemic."

Alice Ferguson, Co-Director, Playing Out

"Playing Out supports the call for a default 20mph limit on residential streets. Children need to be able to play out where they live, for their health and wellbeing and to feel part of their community. The main barrier to this is danger from traffic - we know that where streets are safe, children can and do play out freely. A 20mph default limit - ideally accompanied by physical measures and enforcement - is a good baseline for creating safe, liveable streets for children and communities."