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Casualty reduction schemes

20 mile per hour speed limit

Sharing Space Safely logo

A main priority for Calderdale Council is reducing the number of people injured on Calderdale’s roads each year. Although the overall number of pedestrians injured on Calderdale’s roads has fallen, the number of children suffering the most serious injuries has remained higher than any of us would like to see. We have also seen no reduction in the number of people aged 60 plus who suffer life threatening and fatal injuries as pedestrians.

Many parents don’t allow their children to walk or cycle to school, play out or make short trips around their local community. Parents tell us that they don’t feel the streets are safe for children. This creates a trend towards the use of the car, which in turn increases traffic volumes, adding to the perception of increased risk. Fears around walking and playing in the streets mean that many children are not learning the vital road safety skills they need to be able to travel independently. This contributes to an increase in child casualties once children have moved to senior school.

Evidence emerging from other Local Authorities suggests that the introduction of 20 mile per hour areas is one way to reduce the fear of traffic and road collisions in our communities.

To measure the effect of a 20mph speed limit in residential and school communities, Calderdale Council has introduced a 20mph speed limit in Stainland and Elland.

To alert drivers of their entry into the 20mph speed limit area there will be a 20mph traffic sign installed on both sides of the street. These signs will be repeated at regular intervals. On entering the 20mph speed limit there will also be 20mph markings painted on the road to remind people of the lower speed limits.

Your questions answered

Why do we need to change the speed limits?

We recognise that in residential streets, around schools and district centres the roads need to be shared with pedestrians and cyclists. Often these groups feel intimidated by the speed of vehicles travelling around them. It is recognised that slower speeds will help to reduce the number of road collisions and, more importantly, the seriousness of any injuries suffered by the casualties.

How did you decide which areas would benefit from these changes?

A number of measures were used to determine which of Calderdale’s communities should have 20mph trial areas. These were: the number of injury collisions in each area; how many children were injured; how many pedestrians and cyclists were injured and if the numbers of these incidents has risen over the last three years.

Will there be an increase in the number of signs on our roads?

To alert drivers to changes in speed limits we have to increase the numbers of signs on our roads. Mandatory speed limit signs will be installed at junctions and repeater signs will be displayed at regular intervals. The aim is to use existing lamp-posts wherever possible but we may need to install new signposts at or near to junctions. Our priority is to keep the amount of additional signage required to a minimum.

Why are some streets excluded from the new speed limits?

Some roads will be left unchanged. The aim is to encourage traffic away from residential streets and encourage the use of main roads.

Will we lose parking in the area?

If road speeds decrease and no additional speed reduction measures are required we expect no loss of parking within these areas as a result of these changes.

Will there be delays for motorists who travel through the area?

We don’t expect these changes to create delays; the nature of the streets chosen is such that the narrowness of many of the streets and the higher level of on street parking dictate that it is neither safe nor suitable to be travelling at greater speeds. In addition, we believe that reducing the speed limit should have a beneficial effect on the environment as fear of traffic is reduced and more people feel able to walk and cycle around their local community.

Is this happening in other areas of the country or just in Calderdale?

Changing speed limits on local roads is happening in most authorities across the country. It isn’t a new idea. The authorities who have changed their speed limits to 20mph in residential areas have seen a significant reduction in road injuries. So we are hoping from the many trials that have gone on around the country that this change will bring about the same positive improvements for residents in Stainland by encouraging everyone to ‘Share Our Road Space Safely’.

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Last Updated: 06/03/2012