Ann Cooper’s letter of 27th April includes many concerns about 20mph speed limits but misses the main point.
We can drive just about anywhere we want.
We ought to be able to cycle or walk anywhere we want. 20mph limits are one tool that might help us to do just that, safely.
Driving is mostly automatic and habitual and one thing that influences a driver’s habits is the speed limit.
In the UK the default limit is a weakly enforced 30mph.
Drivers are in the habit of driving at 30-35mph, some even faster. Pedestrians and cyclists find these speeds intimidating.
We in Gloucestershire could go for a 25mph limit but enforcement of speed limits is weak – drivers would still tend to drive nearer 30mph.
So the proposed 20mph limit is there in the hope that drivers will then drive at 20-25mph - a speed that is relatively safe for pedestrians and cyclists.
Peter Wormington
Stroud
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