DRIVERS IN N.WALES MORE COMPLIANT WITH NEW 20MPH LIMITS... BUT AVERAGE SPEED IN ZONES HAS FALLEN JUST 2.4MPH

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DRIVERS in North Wales have tended to be more compliant with the country’s new default 20mph speed limits, analysis has shown. Motorists in South Wales appear to be driving slightly faster but a new report said overall adherence is “broadly good”

Since 20mph defaults were introduced on September 17, 2023, average speeds on all Welsh roads have fallen by 2.4mph. This was determined by transport consultants Agilysis using Tom Tom data for 310 miles of roads in 10 Welsh towns and cities.

The country’s most compliant drivers were in Bangor, where speeds are now averaging 18.8mph 3.2mph slower than before the new limit came into force.

Next best were motorists in Wrexham, Rhyl and Prestatyn - they averaged 19.6mph, which was 2.8mph slower.

The difference was less marked in South Wales. Merthyr Tydfil witnessed the smallest drop in speeds, down 1.3mph to 20.9mph. It was a similar story in Swansea, where average speeds fell 1.7mph to 20.5mph.

Cardiff was near the Welsh average, with drivers going 2.2mph slower than before September. Slowest motorists overall are in Newtown, Powys, where drivers are now averaging 18.6mph, which is 2.6mph down on preseptember.

Motorists here were already the slowest when the new law came in.

Agilysis said drivers were now driving slightly quicker than they were immediately after the new default speed introduced.

Despite this, only 8.4% of total miles driven were at or above the old 30mph limit over the past three months.

The consultancy added: “Compliance is broadly good with speeds close to the limit, although there are still many journeys by drivers that involve high speeds along the route. The speed enforcement measures which have just begun in January 2024 are seen as a crucial step towards achieving greater compliance across the road network.”

Just over half of analysed journeys were above the 20mph limit. Moreover, 17.9% were above limit was 26mph, the enforcement threshold.

Agilysis said it is not yet possible to correlate speed reductions with observed changes in casualties.

But the firm said figures from the Global Road Safety Facility suggested a 3mph drop in average speeds would result in a 32% drop in road fatalities.

Serious injuries would be expected to fall by 25%.

Earlier this month Lee Waters, the Welsh Government’s deputy minister in charge of transport, defended the policy amid heated criticism in the Senedd.

He insisted most people were complying with the “spirit” of the lower speed limit.