What is driving the 20mph speed limit programme set to be rolled out across Ross-shire – and what happens next?
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The ‘Scottish Government and Scottish Green Party Shared Policy Programme’ published on September 1, 2021 includes the commitment that all appropriate roads in built up areas will have a safer speed limit of 20mph by 2025.
This National Strategy for 20mph speed limits aims to expand 20mph speed limits across Scotland and ensure all appropriate roads in built-up areas have a safer speed limit of 20mph by 2025.
The strategy seeks to introduce a consistency for 20mph speed limits across the country, simplifying speed limits for drivers.
It seeks to reduce perceptions of road danger, encourage people to walk and wheel, and create more pleasant streets and neighbourhoods by providing a more equitable balance between different road users and will contribute to the implementation of the safe system.
READ ALSO: Revealed: All the Ross-shire towns and villages included in the scheme
Road assessment
To shape the direction of the strategy and get agreement on the most appropriate route to have 20mph speed limits nationally, an assessment of the existing road network across Scotland is needed.
In early July 2022, Transport Scotland wrote to all local authorities asking that a 'Road Assessment' is undertaken by March 2023. This is to inform the development of the National Strategy for 20mph and to ensure that a consistent method of assessment was used across Scotland. Guidance on how to undertake the 'Road Assessment' was provided by Transport Scotland.
The assessment will be used to find out the number of roads affected and the financial costs for implementation of the National Strategy for 20mph.
The outcome of these road assessments will help in the decision-making process. They will also be used to inform policy, guidance, Ministerial updates as well as ensure that a consistent approach in their implementation is taken across Scotland.
For clarity and in the context of the national strategy for 20mph speed limits, an appropriate road is considered to be all 30mph roads. The exception is where after the road assessment a valid reason is given why it should remain at a 30mph speed limit.
Highland Council explained: "Our Road Safety Team were approached by Transport Scotland in the summer of 2022 and asked to become a pilot local authority for the roll-out of this reduced national 20mph speed limit around the council area.
"We have previously, in the main, reserved 20mph speed limits to roads around schools, self-enclosed residential and more recently some full settlements where appropriate. The process has evolved this way as the early premise was that drivers are more likely to adhere to the reduced speed limit where the restrictions are more concentrated, and children are likely to be more visible. However over time, experience has meant a shift to a wider roll out as they result in greater compliance due to less confusion over speed limits.
"We are habitually asked by resident and community groups on a regular basis to introduce more wide-spread speed restrictions in built-up areas. Communities believe that vehicles they perceive to be speeding, create an increased risk and greater severity of injury to pedestrians and other vulnerable road users. They understand that if speed limits were to be lowered then this perceived risk would be greatly reduced."
Speed data
The collection of speed data will allows us to make informed decisions for 20mph implementation in a timely manner. Speed counts have been taken at over 250 locations in Highland - the results of which can be seen on our new Tracsis Dashboard System.
This will allow for a the public and partners to compare vehicle speeds before and after the 20mph limit was introduced. Also, post implementation surveys will be undertaken to measure the success of the new speed limit and identify where changes are needed. This will include potentially restoring the limit to 30mph or the introduction of traffic calming measures.
An interactive map has been developed which shows the current vehicle speeds at survey locations across the Highland Council area.
Next steps
Following the assessment of 165 existing 30mph speed limits across the Highlands, the council submitted a recommendation to Transport Scotland that 115 sites be included as part of their National 20mph Implementation Strategy.
As well as 20mph signage, other road safety interventions such as electronic signs, lining and some temporary traffic calming features will be trialled during the Temporary Traffic Restriction Order (TRRO) 18-month period.
Community councils will be surveyed in the coming months for their experiences of the trial, while a public consultation will take place in spring 2024.
School pupils and parents will also be surveyed to determine if the 20mph has made any difference to their travel to and from school and their social activities in the evenings, weekends and holidays.
A report will be taken to full Council in late 2024 or early 2025 including detailed evaluation, community council surveys and public consultation, with decisions then made at this meeting on which schemes to retain and which should be removed.
