The presidency of the ITF[0] rotates amongst its 64 member countries and is being transferred to UK near the start of the UN Decade of Action on Road Safety 2021-2030. This is a unique opportunity for UK Secretary of State, Grant Shapps to provide leadership and #CommitToAct by reducing the national urban speed limit to 20mph, a proven road safety initiative that could save millions of lives if adopted worldwide. This is a key call of the ITF and others to set 30km/h and 20mph limits wherever motors mix with people.

Setting 20mph/30kmh limits fits with global goals for health, sustainability and the climate. Though at first glance speeds seem to be about roads, actually they are about people and the world we want to live in. Broad and lasting benefits accrue to people and planet from normalising 20mph/30kmh. Climate, safety, active travel, place-making, the economy and quality of life are all helped.  Lower speed limits have wins now and for future generations.

30mph / 50kmh speeds aren’t cutting it for our 21st century lives. They’ve already been rejected by Spain, Wales and local authorities covering 1/3rd of UK population as not fit for purpose. Attend a free webinar on Thursday 20 May at 2.30pm for UN Global Road Safety Week on how nations are setting national default 20mph/30kmh for urban and village #streetsforlife.

So many cities, towns and counties have rejected their national default limits of 30mph or 50km/h and set lower limits for most roads. It is not because their roads are abnormal, but because the national limit is seen as no longer meeting the community needs. But that can and is being changed at national level.

Now that 20mph or 30km/h limit is accepted as the urban best practice norm, we examine the case for setting the limit at national level.  This provides so many benefits in terms of value for money, consistency, messaging and results.

• Hear how Spain becomes first country to set its national urban 30km/h default in May 2021
• Hear how Wales is planning a national 20mph default for 2023
• Hear the benefits from national implementation over city by city
• Hear the WHO global view on 30km/h urban limits
• Hear the campaigner view on a 20mph national urban limit
• Hear the medical and public health case for lower speeds

The webinar will be chaired by Deborah Sims, Senior Vice President, Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation

Speakers already confirmed are :-

• Álvaro Gómez Méndez, Head of the National Road Safety Observatory, DGT, Spain
• Nhan Tran, Head of Safety and Mobility, WHO
• Lee Waters, Deputy Minister for Climate Change, Wales
• Scarlett McNally, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, Eastbourne DGH[1]
• Richard Thorold, Trustee, Louis Thorold Foundation
• Rod King MBE, Founder and Campaign Director, 20’s Plenty for Us

After short presentations there will be a panel discussion answering questions from attendees.

Whether you are a campaigner, politician, transport engineer, road safety professional, public health professional or NGO you will find this webinar a ground-breaking one by discussing the UNGRSW call at a national level. It also shows the way forward to using 30km/h and 20mph limits as the foundation for the future liveability of our urban and village spaces, and for the UN's 2nd Decade of Action on Road Safety - 2021 to 2030.

The webinar is free and you can register here.

[1] Scarlett is also lead author for ‘Exercise the miracle cure’ and represents the Royal College of Surgeons of England on the UK Health Alliance on Climate Change

Global pressure is mounting on legislators to reset speed limits for #Streetsforlife – designed for flourishing human activities. Whether protecting humans and quality of life in Kent or Kenya, it’s 20mph/30kmh that’s global best practice where people mix with motors. Norming 20mph/30kmh is the sole call of the biennial UNGRSW by the UN and WHO. Local politicians must update policy to #ActOn20mph #Love20 #Love30.

Ask National Government elected representatives for decisive action too. Email your MP

Local governments in towns, cities and villages around the world are rejecting nationally set 30mph or 50km/h speed limits as no longer “fit for purpose” in meeting the needs of citizens and society. 20mph or 30km/h is now seen as the maximum safe speed limit where motor vehicles mix with pedestrians and cyclists unless there are adequate segregated and crossing provisions. 

National governments should set 20mph or 30km/h as their national default urban/village speed limit.

A nearly universal aspiration in communities is to make traffic speed compatible with community life and human survivability.  A 30mph limit is no longer fit for purpose for urban and village streets. Lower default limits are being set. Choose 20mph.

We were asked to write an article for the annual Road Safety Markings Association's annual magazine.

20’s Plenty – for the 2020’s

A few year’s ago I had the pleasure of speaking at the RSMA annual conference and noticed the strong commitment to making our streets safer. In that I explained how the movement for slower speed limits on community streets was evolving.

The 20’s Plenty (or Love 30 as it is known in km/h countries) was making great progress this year even before the Covid-19 pandemic and the realisation that we all needed more space and safety to move around our cities, towns and villages.

For the second Decade of Action for Road Safety the United Nations has endorsed the setting of 30km/h (20mph) maximum speed limits wherever pedestrians, cyclists or other vulnerable road users mix with motor vehicles.

UK and global progress in adopting 20mph limits is evident in transport recovery responses to social distancing pressures. Politicians are increasingly aware of the scarcity of space to move safely. Slower roads help keep people apart as business reopens.