Speed limit of 20mph would cut road deaths

• FOLLOWING Westminster Conservatives’ refusal at the council meeting to back a call to introduce a 20mph speed limit on residential roads, Labour councillors have launched a “20 is plenty” campaign, including a Westminster-wide petition which they plan to present to the next meeting of the council on April 28.

Department for Transport figures show that in 2008, 1,604 people were injured in road accidents in Westminster, including 20 people who lost their lives. This includes 272 people were either killed or seriously injured, of which eight were children. 

Westminster had the highest number of pedestrians, pedal cyclists and motorcyclists killed or seriously injured of any London borough.

The evidence that a 20mph speed limit on residential roads would cut deaths and serious injuries is over­whelming. Research from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, published in the British Medical Journal recently, found that 20mph zones were associated with a 40 per cent reduction in casualties. If you hit someone at 30mph they will probably die. But if they are hit by a car travelling at 10mph less they will almost certainly live.

Any who would like  a copy of the “20 is plenty” petition form can get one by contacting me at pdimoldenberg@hotmail.com

CLLR PAUL DIMOLDENBERG
Leader of the Labour Group