A big drop in road casualties in Wales is being linked to the blanket 20mph speed limit introduced by Welsh Labour in September 2023. Now, some are pushing for the UK Government to roll out the same scheme across England and Scotland.
Between July and September 2024, there were 410 casualties from crashes on 20mph and 30mph roads in Wales. Three people lost their lives, 90 were seriously injured, and the rest suffered minor injuries. Compare this to the same period in 2023—before the 20mph limit kicked in—and there were around 100 more serious injuries or deaths. That’s a 28% reduction, making it the lowest number of casualties ever recorded.
The road safety charity Brake says the evidence is clear: lower speed limits mean fewer crashes, injuries, and deaths. Their campaigns manager, Luca Straker, called on the UK Government to “follow the Welsh Government’s lead and commit to adopting 20mph default speed limits in urban areas in their upcoming Road Safety Strategy.”
But not everyone is convinced. Welsh Transport Secretary Ken Skates welcomed the numbers but said the government will“be undertaking three evaluations so that we can say with absolute certainty then whether or not this policy has contributed to an accelerated reduction in the number of collisions, serious injuries and deaths.” Meanwhile, Conservative Shadow Welsh Transport Secretary Peter Fox argued that “these figures don't tell the whole story.”
The 20mph rule has been a hot topic in Wales and beyond. Critics argue it slows traffic too much and should only apply in high-risk areas like outside schools and hospitals. Some local councils have even scrapped the lower limit and reverted to 30mph after public backlash.
As for England and Scotland? The UK Government says it has “no plans” to enforce a nationwide 20mph limit, leaving speed decisions up to "local authorities as they know their areas best – there are no plans to change this.”
What do you think—should the 20mph rule be rolled out across the rest of the UK? Let us know in the comments.
