Transport Secretary Mark Harper has set out plans to protect drivers from over-zealous traffic enforcement, as part of a long-term Government plan to back drivers.
With 50 million people holding a driving licence in Great Britain and more than 40 million licensed vehicles in the UK, the Government’s new plan will support the majority who drive, by keeping motoring costs under control and ensure people have the freedom to drive as they need to in their daily lives.
The measures include reviewing guidance on 20mph speed limits in England to prevent their blanket use in areas where it’s not appropriate and amending guidance on Low Traffic Neighbourhoods to focus on local consent.
As part of the ongoing review into Low Traffic Neighbourhoods, the Government will also consider measures for existing anti-driver policies that did not secure local consent. The plans also aim to stop councils implementing so called ‘15-minute cities’, by consulting on ways to prevent schemes which aggressively restrict where people can drive.
Drivers across the country will also soon be able to benefit from new technology to simplify parking payments. The National Parking Platform pilot will be rolled out nationwide so that drivers can use an app of their choice to pay instead of downloading multiple apps.
In the continued drive to tackle potholes, the Government will support councils to introduce more Lane Rental schemes, where utility companies are required to pay to dig up the busiest roads at peak times. Under the proposals, at least half of the extra money raised from these fees will go directly towards repairing road surfaces.
To further clamp down on overrunning street works, the Government will consult on extending fines for repairs which run into weekends and increasing current levels of Fixed Penalty Notices.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “For too long politicians have focused on the short-term decisions with little regard for the long term impact on hardworking families.
“We’ve seen this consistently with people’s freedoms on transport. The clamp down on drivers is an attack on the day to day lives of most people across the UK who rely on cars to get to work or see their families.
“This week the UK Government will set out a long-term plan to back drivers, slamming the brakes on anti-car measures across England. We are taking the necessary decision to back the motorists who keep our country moving.”
Transport Secretary Mark Harper said: “Too often the private car is vilified when it has been one of the most powerful forces for personal freedom and economic growth. That’s why the Government is taking the long-term, necessary decision to back the motorists who keep our country moving.
“We’re introducing a plan to ensure drivers can enjoy smoother journeys, park more easily and no longer face unfair and oppressive traffic enforcement measures.
“Our plan will sit alongside our continued investment in public transport and active travel as part of a package of measures designed to help people travel in the best way that works for them.”
A call for evidence will be launched on options to restrict the ability of local authorities to generate revenue surpluses from traffic offences and over-zealous traffic enforcement, such as yellow-box junctions.
To make life easier for drivers and help traffic flow better, the Department for Transport will strengthen guidance to make sure bus lanes only operate when necessary and a consultation will be launched on motorcycles using bus lanes. Further measures and the full plan will be published in the coming days.
The measures follow the Prime Minister’s new approach to net zero announced last week, which committed to ending the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2035, while supporting people who rely on their cars in their daily lives. The long-term plan to back drivers will protect people who rely on their cars from anti-driver policies.
The plans also follow the Government’s support for drivers by cutting the fuel duty rate by 5p per litre since March 2022, saving the average driver around £100 a year. This is in addition to £5 billion Government investment since 2020 to resurface local roads, and new rules to clamp down on utility companies leaving potholes behind after street works.
However, the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS), with an international team of road safety experts, funded by the Road Safety Trust looked at evidence from six countries in mainland Europe as well as in the UK and found that the extent to which 20mph (or 30km/h) schemes deliver actual speed and casualty reductions depends on whether they are supported by measures such as road humps and/or changes in relative road width.
When a speed limit of 20mph is introduced with such measures, speed is normally reduced to less than 20mph, provided it was less than about 30mph before the measures were implemented.
However, schemes without other measures result in speed reductions of around 1-2mph where ‘before’ speeds are approximately 25mph, and 3-5mph where ‘before’ speeds are approximately 30mph.
In the UK, signed-only schemes result in approximately 11% fewer casualties than before they were introduced but this rises to 40% in schemes where physical measures are introduced.
Road Safety Trust chief executive Sonya Hurt said: ‘The Road Safety Trust was delighted to fund this research which builds on the evidence base and confirms the importance of accompanying traffic calming measures.
‘The findings will help ensure the continued roll-out of 20mph schemes can be backed by the latest evidence, and be as effective as possible in terms of reducing casualties.’
Margaret Winchcomb, deputy executive director at PACTS, said: ‘20mph is now generally accepted as the safe speed for streets used by people walking, cycling or wheeling.
‘Traffic speeds of around 20mph also make walking and cycling more appealing – a crucial step towards the Government’s desire that 50% of journeys will be walked or cycled by 2030.
‘Longer-term, technology in vehicles, rather than the road layout will help drivers stay within speed limits.’
The report notes that Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) – which is aimed at increasing compliance with speed limits – is seen as the most effective in-vehicle system for reducing speeding and improving road safety.
ISA systems alert the motorist if they exceed the speed limit and encourage compliance but do not automatically prevent speeding unless drivers select a mandatory system.
Steve Cole, Executive Head of Policy, Campaigns, and Public Affairs at RoSPA, said: “RoSPA is deeply concerned by reports of Sunak’s plans to block councils imposing 20mph speed limits, particularly as only yesterday figures showed that motorist and pedestrian death rates in this country are still too high.
“Local practitioners and their communities know their roads far better than Westminster and should therefore have the powers to make decisions about local speed limits.
“The evidence shows that local decision making about road safety including 20mph zones is both essential and effective in reducing deaths, and we do not believe that local communities should be subject to blanket decision making from Westminster about their needs.
“It’s important that communities feel safe, and as it is estimated that 20mph speed limits can result in 40 per cent fewer collisions and a seven-fold reduction in deaths[1]
“By removing powers from local communities, the Government are putting drivers and pedestrians at risk and should instead be focusing efforts on assessing the evidence and delivering its long-awaited road safety strategy.”
Commenting on the DfT’s Reported Road Casualties Report, Rebecca Guy, Road Safety Manager, England at RoSPA, said: “The data paints a grim picture of road safety in Great Britain, with 29,742 killed or seriously injured on the roads every year – the equivalent of 1,000 coaches full of people, or 81 people per day, every day of the year.
“RoSPA is deeply concerned that despite car manufacturers making significant efforts to improve vehicle safety, lack of Government strategy and funding means the number of people killed on our roads has reduced by just two per cent since 2012.
“While car occupants accounted for most road casualties in 2022, the highest casualty rates per billion miles travelled were for motorcyclists, indicating that a person is more likely to be injured on the road when travelling by motorcycle.
“The distinct lack of progress in publishing a road safety strategy since 2019 is deeply concerning, and we urge the Government to publish a clear, evidence-based road safety strategy, before more people are killed on the roads.”
