The Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) wins prestigious road safety award from the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation (CIHT).

At its annual awards ceremony in Abergele on 29^th November 2024, CIHT Cymru presented the WLGA with Alun Griffiths Award for Health, Safety and Wellbeing.  The Award recognises the national default 20mph speed limit in Wales as a policy initiative that has significantly contributed to casualty reduction and improved safety for all transport users.

20's Plenty for Us nominated the WLGA for it and its 22 Highway Authorities members’ commitment over 4 years in planning and achieving the 20mph default in September 2023. This initiative has rewarded the Welsh people with 28% fewer road casualties in its first 9 months[1].

Pictured at the CIHT Cymru Awards ceremony. Left to right :-

Tim James, Cambrensis Ltd (award sponsor); Kaarina Ruta, WLGA; Andy Falleyn and Ian Bradfield, Welsh Government; Rod King MBE, 20's Plenty for Us; Phil Jones, PJA Ltd

Kaarina Ruta was the lead officer in WLGA co-ordinating implementation and commented:

“I was delighted to receive the award on behalf of all the local authorities in Wales and see their hard work recognised by the CIHT. The award is dedicated to everyone who played a part in making 20mph in built-up areas the default in Wales and a celebration of the lives saved because of it. I would also like to thank 20’s Plenty for Us for the nomination and their tireless contribution to the project over the years.”

Rod King MBE, Chair of 20's Plenty for Us CIC said:

"It was great to see highway and transport professionals from across Wales celebrating the annual CIHT Cymru awards for outstanding achievements and projects.

Changing the way that we all share our roads needs commitment and effort from local authorities and national governments alike.  Winning this award demonstrates the major contribution of WLGA to this transformative change to the health, safety and wellbeing of Welsh communities.

This Award is testament to the WLGA's action in deploying 20mph in a progressive and pragmatic way and making Welsh places better places to be."

[1] 489 fewer casualties on 20/30mph roads for the period Oct-23 to Jun-24 (1,286 casualties) versus Oct-22 to Jun-23 (1,775 casualties)

Notes for editors:

1. 20’s Plenty for Us CIC (Company no. 15510973) supports communities throughout the UK and internationally who want their place to be a better place to be. Its vision is for a 20mph speed limit wherever people and motor vehicles mix, with 30mph where it’s demonstrably safe for vulnerable road users.
2. For more information about 20’s Plenty for Us, please visit our website https://www.20splenty.org or email [email protected]

Why the WLGA was nominated for the CIHT Cymru Alun Griffiths Award for Health, Safety and Wellbeing.

From the initial formative planning stages of the 20mph national default speed limit project in 2019, WLGA was embedded in the Welsh Government's Task Force. It provided key inputs and perspectives from the 22 Local Authorities that would be tasked with implementing the scheme.

Working with national government, NGOs, public bodies, emergency services and other stakeholders, the WLGA played a key role in coordinating and supporting Local Authorities as they planned and implemented a massive transport change.  Across the country, tens of thousands of signs were changed on implementation day, 17^th September 2023.

Default 20mph has undoubtedly been the single biggest contribution to health, safety and wellbeing on Welsh roads in the past year, not least because of the sheer scale of the change: 37% of Welsh road speed limits became 20mph (up from 2.5%).

The reduction in casualties on 20/30mph roads in Wales is unprecedented.  The reduction in casualties of 28% for the first nine months is more twice the previous largest year-on-year reduction[1]. Such a reduction was not seen on other roads in Wales or anywhere else in the UK and  was endorsed by one insurance company (esure) revealing 20% fewer damage claims in Wales.

CIHT's latest report on adopting a Safe System in transport specifically references the Welsh national default 20mph and the principle of setting "survivable" default limits and "excepting up" to allow higher speeds only where appropriate.

[1] Excluding COVID years