Category: Transport Projects

Analysis of road safety along 100 roads with a 30 miles per hour (mph) speed limit is set to be considered by councillors ahead of proposals for potential 20mph limits to be published for public consultation.

The council’s Transport and Connectivity Committee is due to review the proposals and consider evidence that shows lower speeds would significantly improve safety on these roads across the city. 

The roads under consideration make up roughly 5% of Bristol’s road network, but incidents on these highways account for around 30% of serious and fatal collisions.  

The proposals include detailed street-by-street assessment of all 30mph roads in Bristol. The report produced for councillors considers collision history, routes to school, walking and cycling routes, road layout, and how each street is currently used. Best practice indicates 20mph is the safest maximum speed on residential streets and most city roads. 

Councillor Ed Plowden, Chair of the Transport and Connectivity Committee, said: “Deaths on Bristol’s roads are unacceptable and avoidable. We want to live in a city where children feel safe to travel to school independently, where the air we breathe has not been polluted by unnecessary acceleration and harsh braking, and where all road users, whether on two wheels or more, can share our highways safely.

“We have a duty to explore options for improving road safety and to take an evidence-based approach to decisions which impact our roads. I look forward to considering the detail of these proposals with colleagues on the committee ahead of seeking the views of residents to inform future decisions.” 

According to the independent BRITE study conducted by the University of the West of England in 2018, the original 20mph programme, delivered in Bristol between 2010 and 2014, is estimated to have prevented 175 collisions a year, saving the NHS millions.

If implemented, it’s estimated the proposals for 20mph limits could prevent around 50 injuries a week. This supports Bristol’s long-term aim to eliminate deaths and serious injuries on its roads and deliver safer roads for all.

The proposals are being published as a new road safety strategy for the city is being developed.

Details about the proposals and a contact form to keep you informed of any potential future consultations, can be found on the Bristol’s better at 20 website.

The Transport and Connectivity Committee agenda including the reports pack for the meeting taking place on 19 March can be found on Bristol City Council’s website.

Notes to Editor

Driving at 20mph dramatically reduces the risk of serious crashes. Young children can’t reliably judge speeds above 25mph, which means they’re far more likely to misjudge when it’s safe to cross. At 20mph, a driver slamming on the brakes can stop in around 12 metres, roughly three car lengths. At 30mph, they’d still be going at 27mph after the same distance. That’s the difference between a frightening near miss and a child being seriously injured or killed. 

Besides the immediate benefits of preserving lives, 20mph limits create a calmer city and more welcoming neighbourhoods for walking, cycling, and wheeling. Over half of Bristol residents say more 20mph streets would help them walk, wheel or cycle more. 

20mph limits improve safety without significantly impacting journey times: most urban journey times are shaped by junctions, congestion, and traffic signals rather than top speeds. This means 20mph limits generally have little impact on how long a car or bus journey takes. 

Original press release by Bristol City Council