Consultation closes on 20mph speed limits - phase 2

Phase two of the consultation on 20mph speed limits has now closed.

The results of this consultation will be discussed at a meeting of the Environment, Climate Emergency and Transport committee later this year.

The roll out of the first phase of new 20mph speed limits is ongoing, with roads across 15 areas getting new signage and road markings ahead of the speed limits becoming enforceable.

All areas earmarked for slower speed limits are routes that are predominantly residential or stretches of road that pass by shopping areas, past schools or near hospitals, with the primary aim to slow traffic down in busier areas, making roads safer places for local people and all road users.

The consultation process is not to ask people whether they agree with the introduction of 20mph speed limits, it is to gather constructive feedback based on a resident’s knowledge and experience of their local roads to ensure the speed limit is implemented and operated effectively in their area.

The decision to lower speed limits on certain streets across the borough has already been made by councillors on the Environment, Climate Emergency and Transport Committee. This was to bring Wirral in line with national plans to make roads safer for everyone who uses them; it was a key recommendation from Wirral’s Road Safety Working Group and is part of Wirral’s contribution to the Liverpool City Region Road Safety Strategy, which aims to reduce the number and severity of road traffic collisions working to an overall ‘vision zero’ target by 2040.

Introducing a 20mph speed limit reduces the chances of a collision – as well as the severity of any injuries from any collision that might still occur. As ‘Think’, the road safety charity, states ‘a few miles per hour can mean the difference between life and death. The faster you drive, the less time you have to stop if something unexpected happens’. 

Funding provided as part of the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement – which underpins much of the Combined Authority Transport Plan – is being invested in the 20mph project. This is money that can only be spent on schemes that will make roads safer and encourage more active travel, such as walking and cycling.

20mph speed limits differ from existing 20mph zones in that the onus is on the driver to regulate their speed, there are not usually traffic-calming measures in place. 20mph speed limits are legally enforceable by the police.