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| Residential areas 'must have mandatory 20mph limit' | Residential areas 'must have mandatory 20mph limit' |
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| VIEWPOINT By Dominic Harrison Director of Public Health, Blackburn with Darwen | VIEWPOINT By Dominic Harrison Director of Public Health, Blackburn with Darwen |
| Most residential areas have speed limits, set by local councils, of 30mph. But in this week's Scrubbing Up Dominic Harrison, the director of Public Health for Blackburn with Darwen argues a nationwide 20mph speed limit would prevent road accidents and so save thousands of lives. | Most residential areas have speed limits, set by local councils, of 30mph. But in this week's Scrubbing Up Dominic Harrison, the director of Public Health for Blackburn with Darwen argues a nationwide 20mph speed limit would prevent road accidents and so save thousands of lives. |
| Road death as been described by the campaign group as "the greatest avoidable public health epidemic", in my view justifiably so. | Road death as been described by the campaign group as "the greatest avoidable public health epidemic", in my view justifiably so. |
| We need governments, both national and local, to act to reduce this preventable risk to children by introducing mandatory 20mph limits on all residential streets in the UK. | We need governments, both national and local, to act to reduce this preventable risk to children by introducing mandatory 20mph limits on all residential streets in the UK. |
| If the speed limits in all of the residential areas were changed from 30mph to 20mph we could save thousands of children's lives. | If the speed limits in all of the residential areas were changed from 30mph to 20mph we could save thousands of children's lives. |
| The evidence for this is now very strong. | The evidence for this is now very strong. |
| It is very hard to understand why we are not scandalised by our collective inaction. | It is very hard to understand why we are not scandalised by our collective inaction. |
| Saving lives | Saving lives |
| A recent report by the North West Public Health Observatory concluded that 140 killed or seriously injured child casualties could have been prevented each year between 2004-8 if 20mph traffic speed zones had been introduced in residential areas (other than main roads) across the North West. | A recent report by the North West Public Health Observatory concluded that 140 killed or seriously injured child casualties could have been prevented each year between 2004-8 if 20mph traffic speed zones had been introduced in residential areas (other than main roads) across the North West. |
| A 2008 World Health Organization report on preventing child injuries also recommended 20mph limits in residential areas. | A 2008 World Health Organization report on preventing child injuries also recommended 20mph limits in residential areas. |
| "Limits" are cheaper than 20mph "zones", which feature traffic-calming measures, and could be in place across the country within 12 months. | "Limits" are cheaper than 20mph "zones", which feature traffic-calming measures, and could be in place across the country within 12 months. |
| Coupled with a strong social marketing campaign they could make a massive difference to the lives of children and adults alike. | Coupled with a strong social marketing campaign they could make a massive difference to the lives of children and adults alike. |
| No driver really wants to drive at 20mph when it looks safe to drive at 30. | No driver really wants to drive at 20mph when it looks safe to drive at 30. |
| But most children will live and recover if hit by a vehicle travelling at 20mph whereas most risk a lifetime of disability or death if hit at 30mph. | But most children will live and recover if hit by a vehicle travelling at 20mph whereas most risk a lifetime of disability or death if hit at 30mph. |
| The risk each driver creates and the risk to each child of having the current 30mph limit is small - but at a population level over time it becomes very significant. | The risk each driver creates and the risk to each child of having the current 30mph limit is small - but at a population level over time it becomes very significant. |
| System failure | System failure |
| We have had this evidence since 2003 when the English Health Development Agency produced a report saying there was "good evidence for 20mph zones and injury reduction". | We have had this evidence since 2003 when the English Health Development Agency produced a report saying there was "good evidence for 20mph zones and injury reduction". |
| Little action was taken then because there was no one solely responsible for taking the evidence to a Local Authority Transport Committee to decide whether to act, no government minister had to say yes or no to a universal 20mph limit in all residential areas of England, no professional could be found in 'dereliction of duty' for not acting on the evidence and hounded by the media for their culpable failure. | Little action was taken then because there was no one solely responsible for taking the evidence to a Local Authority Transport Committee to decide whether to act, no government minister had to say yes or no to a universal 20mph limit in all residential areas of England, no professional could be found in 'dereliction of duty' for not acting on the evidence and hounded by the media for their culpable failure. |
| This death and injury to children is a 'whole system failure'. | This death and injury to children is a 'whole system failure'. |
| With few exceptions, that failure is still unresolved now, in 2011 and our children are paying the price with their lives. | With few exceptions, that failure is still unresolved now, in 2011 and our children are paying the price with their lives. |
| Several towns have implemented a default 20 mph limit for all residential roads, including Portsmouth, Oxford and Warrington. | Several towns have implemented a default 20 mph limit for all residential roads, including Portsmouth, Oxford and Warrington. |
| The first county to take this approach is Lancashire County Council, which announced on the 25th January 2011 that it would make all residential areas 20mph by 2013 at a predicted cost of £9m. | The first county to take this approach is Lancashire County Council, which announced on the 25th January 2011 that it would make all residential areas 20mph by 2013 at a predicted cost of £9m. |
| At a time of efficiencies and cuts this was a brave and honourable decision. | At a time of efficiencies and cuts this was a brave and honourable decision. |
| Collective responsibility | Collective responsibility |
| Although we will never know just who was saved we will know how many lives (and lifetime disabilities) were prevented. | Although we will never know just who was saved we will know how many lives (and lifetime disabilities) were prevented. |
| The Department for Transport estimates the cost of each road traffic death (police and hospital costs, lost taxes etc) at over £1.5m. | The Department for Transport estimates the cost of each road traffic death (police and hospital costs, lost taxes etc) at over £1.5m. |
| A 20mph Lancashire speed limit will pay for itself - even in monetary teams (far less important than human life) many times over. | A 20mph Lancashire speed limit will pay for itself - even in monetary teams (far less important than human life) many times over. |
| We need to ask what "cultural disease" has allowed us to tolerate this preventable risk to our children for so long without action. | We need to ask what "cultural disease" has allowed us to tolerate this preventable risk to our children for so long without action. |
| Perhaps also, we all need to extend our moral imaginations. | Perhaps also, we all need to extend our moral imaginations. |
| We need to take collective responsibility for our part in predictable and preventable events that affect the lives of others. | We need to take collective responsibility for our part in predictable and preventable events that affect the lives of others. |
| We are in collective denial of one of the biggest safeguarding risks to children. | We are in collective denial of one of the biggest safeguarding risks to children. |
| It is both predictable and preventable and it is time to do something about it. | It is both predictable and preventable and it is time to do something about it. |
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| 4/ Similar to 3 really (the length of comment allowed is ridiculous!), more emphasis needs to be placed on teaching children to cross the road safely, not slowing drivers down so that they can hit them without hurting them! 5/ A 20mph speed limit is not economical to drive at, most cars won't do it in top gear and air pollution will be increased. | |
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| 2/ It is very difficult to keep down to 20mph and drivers will spend much more time looking at their speedometers than they already do. I say this as both driver and pedestrian!3/ Some pedestrians are already careless enough; lulling them into a false sense of security by reducing vehicle speeds further will only make them think that they can leap out into the road without looking. | |
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| Where to start - this would be a bad idea for so many reasons.1/ "Most children will live and recover if hit by a vehicle travelling at 20mph whereas most risk a lifetime of disability or death if hit at 30mph". This is a fallacious argument in this case as a driver almost always has time to brake between seeing the pedestrian and the point of impact. | |
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| @DougieLawson - actually, you'd not have to prosecute cyclists, as (rightly or wrongly) road speed limits apply only to motor vehicles, as the law currently stands.@JonathanBagley - councils can't win. Either they enforce speed limits with cameras and fines and are accused of doing so to raise revenue, or they don't and enforcing valid public health law is seen as a "burden" on the tax payer. | @DougieLawson - actually, you'd not have to prosecute cyclists, as (rightly or wrongly) road speed limits apply only to motor vehicles, as the law currently stands.@JonathanBagley - councils can't win. Either they enforce speed limits with cameras and fines and are accused of doing so to raise revenue, or they don't and enforcing valid public health law is seen as a "burden" on the tax payer. |
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| This was recently proposed by a green activist in my own area of Calderdale. I looked into it and discovered that deaths and serious injuries were at an all time low and falling. Council Public Health needs to justify itself and spend its ring-fenced taxes; and this is an example - causing unnecessary inconvenience at great expense. More deaths would be prevented by enforcing 30 mph limits. | This was recently proposed by a green activist in my own area of Calderdale. I looked into it and discovered that deaths and serious injuries were at an all time low and falling. Council Public Health needs to justify itself and spend its ring-fenced taxes; and this is an example - causing unnecessary inconvenience at great expense. More deaths would be prevented by enforcing 30 mph limits. |
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