The UK government has issued guidance recommending a reduction of speed limits to 20 mph on rural roads within towns and villages across England, as part of efforts to improve safety for cyclists and other vulnerable road users. The advice, detailed in a new Rural Design Guide by Active Travel England, also suggests measures such as narrowing roads and installing bollards. Removing traffic lane center lines is also proposed as a method to encourage lower speeds.
Currently, many rural lanes are subject to the national speed limit of 60 mph. This new guidance aims to significantly decrease that, particularly in areas where pedestrians, cyclists, and motor traffic share space. The government document states that approximately 17% of England's population, around 10 million people, reside in rural areas. In 2024, nearly two-thirds of road fatalities in Great Britain occurred on rural roads.
The guidance emphasizes that local authorities are best positioned to determine where such limits would be most effective. However, it suggests that a 'whole-settlement 20mph limit' could be more cost-effective and less confusing than piecemeal implementation. To further deter drivers, councils are encouraged to make these roads less attractive for through traffic by employing strategies like narrowing carriageways, creating footways, or installing traffic islands and bollards.
This initiative aligns with a broader government commitment to promoting active travel. Last month, the government announced a £4.5 billion investment in active travel, with the goal of making 55% of all short journeys walkable or cycled by 2035. The guidance also suggests applying these reduced limits to routes designated as part of the 'active travel network'.
More than a sixth of roads in Britain, totaling 39,000 miles out of a network of 246,500 miles, already have a 20 mph speed limit, according to the transport consultancy Insight Warehouse. In Wales, the default speed limit on most residential and built-up roads was lowered from 30 mph to 20 mph in 2023. In London, over half of the roads are currently subject to a 20 mph limit.
While evidence suggests that 20 mph limits can reduce average driving speeds, some motorists express concerns about their implementation on roads where they deem them unnecessary. Data from Insight Warehouse indicates a rise in speeding endorsements on lower-speed roads, with police forces issuing significantly more tickets on 20 mph roads in recent years. A considerable portion of drivers reportedly exceed the 20 mph limit on 'free-flowing' sections of these roads, even with average speeds only slightly above the posted limit.