| Topic: | 20mph greatly reduces chances of serious injury or death | |
| Posted by: | Dominik Klimowski | |
| Date/Time: | 23/01/25 09:11:00 |
| Having driven from Ealing to Kingston hospital recently, I experienced a 20mph journey pretty much all the way. It took a bit of getting used to, but the steady pace meant that I still got there in good time. I have also gone along that route by bus, and although it feels slow, the journey does not take that much longer. This is mainly because the alternative has always been more ‘stop/start’, ie: drive faster, stop at traffic, drive faster, stop at lights, drive faster, stop at traffic. The average speed limit in (outer) London is 20mph. In central London it’s slower. So the 20mph speed limit is in keeping with this. Looking at the speed limit from the point of view of everyone outside a motor vehicle, 20mph is very fast. From a safety point of view, it makes sense to have it at 20mph, because: At 20mph there is a 2.5% chance of survival if hit. At 30mph this jumps up to 20%. The braking distance is halved at 20mph compared to 30mph. Some people say ‘well pedestrians should be educated to cross the road safely’, or ‘if people didn’t wear their headphones or dress in black they wouldn’t get hit’ My answer to that is, as a driver, I don’t see it as my job to punish people by killing or injuring them. If it’s a scientific fact that there is much less chance of death or serious injury if I drive at 20mph, then I’m not prepared to argue with that. |