No candidate suggested or amending city’s 20mph limits

IT was interesting to note that not one of the candidates for Bristol Mayor once suggested scrapping or amending the system of city-wide 20mph limits.

This was in complete contrast to 2016, when Marvin Rees played politics and promised to review the 20mph limits, because he wanted Tory and Ukip votes.

Since then we have had the painstaking review by UWE experts of the 20mph limits compared to 30mph limits, which compared the traffic and mortality and accident death figures and found that lower 20mph speed limits saved nine lives every two years, and prevented about 340 injuries every two years whilst saving £30 million for the public purse!

That’s an incredible saving. We also had a public consultation on the 20mph limits, which most people – surprise, surprise! – said they wanted to keep. No big surprises there.

Marvin Rees said he would “review” the 20mph limits in 2016 because he was playing politics with the issue and he wanted to get some more votes.

Nobody mentioned 20mph limits at all in the elections just gone. That is good, because the issue has been settled on the evidence. 20mph limits work. You soon get used to them.

Drivers have slowed down, and as a result, there have been far fewer collisions, far fewer deaths, and far fewer traumatic injuries which end up in hospitals. Well done Bristol drivers!

Not only that, they save the NHS a considerable amount of money in Bristol, which is not to be sneezed at, and they also help promote walking and cycling and so keep people fit and better able to fend off any nasty new viruses which come around like you-know-what.

Exercise is a great pill for health and 20mph limits help promote it.

City-wide 20mph limits are here to stay and are saving lives and money in Bristol. That’s got to be a good thing!

John Smith Bristol