PRESSURE GROUPS GO TO TOWN ON RURAL SPEEDS

The controversy over a proposed reduction of speed limits on British rural roads from 60mph to 50mph has received more publicity. An open letter to the Prime Minister, signed by 15 pressure groups and charities, including Transport 2000, has called for tough action on speeding including this speed limit reduction. The Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, who is also the Deputy Prime Minister, has never ruled out the strict measures that these groups advocate, and seems to have been considering them actively for some time. From late 1998, the Government's thorough speed policy review analysed research evidence, police practice, and legislation. Its second part began in August 1999 with the publication of a discussion paper, a substantial part of which considers the possibility that speeding is endemic. Its alternative proposals include requiring the reduced limit only on C roads and unclassified roads, or giving local authorities more power to set limits on a road-by-road basis. Setting different limits for different classes of road could cause problems, and might make it harder for education and publicity to change public attitudes to speeding. It is often difficult for drivers to identify different classes of roads, additional, expensive road signs might be required.