Speed limits

Driving safely

Vehicles driving too fast is a major cause of road accidents. The greater the speed of a vehicle the more severe any injury is likely to be. In addition, speeding vehicles can have an adverse affect on the quality of life of local communities.

In setting a speed limit we will consider the alignment of the road, the speed most motorists expect to travel along this road, the type of road and where it is located. This is in line with guidance set down by the Department for Transport. The Council works closely with the police in setting speed limits for all roads.

How dangerous is it to speed?

Exceeding the speed limit or travelling too fast for the existing road conditions is a contributory factor in over 790 deaths and over 34,600 injuries every year.
On average, nearly nine people die every day on Britain's roads.
Every driver can make a difference just by slowing down a few miles per hour and observing speed limits.
The law of physics dictate that the higher the speed at impact, the more energy must be rapidly absorbed by hard metal, soft flesh and brittle bone.
72% of crashes where people are killed or injured happen on roads where the speed limit is 40mph or less.