Introduction

The Scottish Government remains committed to making our streets safer and to the transformation of our towns and cities to ensure people are prioritised over motor vehicles. Increasing the options for people to walk, wheel or cycle when they make those everyday short journeys.

Managing the levels of vehicle speed is one of the biggest challenges faced in road safety. Many drivers do not recognise the risks involved with speeding and often, for them, the perceived advantages outweigh the perceived problems that can result from it. The speed of a vehicle directly influences the risk of a collision as well as the severity of injuries sustained, and the likelihood of death resulting from that collision.

We know, the average person, is seven times more likely to die if they are hit with a vehicle at 30 mph than they are at 20 mph. That is why the Scottish Government is committed to implementing 20 mph speed limits on those roads where it is appropriate to do so by the end of 2025.

Scotland’s Road Safety Framework to 2030 (RSF2030) supports this commitment. It promotes a strong and strategic approach to creating a safe system, with speed management being a priority, as well as the subsequent 2022 Programme for Government commitment to “Roll out our national strategy for expanding 20 mph zones, with more roads and areas reducing their speed limits to 20 mph – making our streets feel safer and encouraging active travel”.

The strategy advocates a vision “Slower today for a safer tomorrow” and aims to reduce speed in our towns, cities, and villages by 2025, by implementing 20mph speed limits where appropriate.