Speed limits should be cut to 20mph in all built-up areas to save councils money, government advisers have urged.
Despite costing more for motorists, the independent Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (Pacts) is recommending reducing the 30mph limit.
It states implementing 20mph zones is costly as it involves more signage and paperwork. So instead, there should be a blanket implementation to save money.
Jamie Hassall, executive director at Pacts, told MPs on the Commons transport committee that requiring authorities to implement 20mph zones is ‘expensive’.
He added: ‘A much cheaper way is to mandate [the roads] as 20mph, and let the authority, if they want to move [the limit] up, give them that ability to do so.
‘A national approach that covers the majority and allows local decisions to increase speed limits, I would say, is a more sensible way forward.’
This has sparked fury among motoring groups, who insist it was more evidence of drivers being used as cash-cows for local authorities.
A blanket implementation of 20mph zones could be rolled out to save adding signage
Will a universal 20mph speed limit make our roads safer or simply punish drivers unfairly?
Howard Cox, of the FairFuelUK campaign, said: ‘The 20mph zones are costly, leading to stop-start driving as drivers’ eyes are off the road and on the speedometer. Safety improves only through better road design, enforcement of real offences, and targeting risk factors.
‘These limits are simply a dishonest and easy way to grab cash from one of the world’s already highest-taxed drivers.’
Schemes to cut speed limits have become increasingly common in the UK as part of efforts to reduce crashes.
Wales has 20mph as the default speed limit in built-up areas while the Scottish Government has committed to imposing the limit on ‘those roads where it is appropriate to do so’.
Some 62 out of 153 local authorities in England have adopted a similar policy.
Last year, drivers were hit with a record 5.6million penalty points – fuelled by the rise in slower zones. The Conservatives launched in April a plan that included a pledge to ‘end blanket 20mph schemes’.
