20mph blanket speed limit on Westminster residential roads ‘can save £50m’

Published: 12 February 2010
by  JAMIE WELHAM

A BLANKET 20mph speed limit on residential roads could save taxpayers £50million a year, City Hall opposition leaders at have claimed.

Labour politicians, who are campaigning to lower the limit in Westminster, say Department for Transport figures show each death on the roads costs £1.8m and each injury £59,700.

In 2008, 1,604 people were injured on Westminster’s roads, including 20 fatalities.

Road accidents would be cut by 40 per cent and eight lives a year saved if the measure is introduced, according to Labour.

Leader of the Labour Group Councillor Paul Dimoldenberg said: “Introducing a 20mph speed limit on Westminster’s residential streets will not only save lives but it will also save huge sums in hospital, police and ambulance costs, which we ­estimate to be over £50m a year.

“Cutting road accidents will allow our hospitals to spend more time on treating people with serious illnesses and give the police more time to catch criminals and cut down on anti-social behaviour.”

Despite popular support, the calls have fallen on deaf ears at City Hall. The council says the density of traffic on the borough’s roads is enough to keep speed down and that it will pursue other traffic-calming measures.