Council says 20mph speed limits is working amid UK debate

National debate is growing over whether 20mph should become the default speed limit in built-up areas across England.

Government advisers at the independent Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety told MPs that making 20mph the standard limit on residential and built-up roads would be a cheaper and more effective way to improve safety than the current patchwork approach.

Executive director Jamie Hassall argued it would be more cost-effective to set a national 20mph default and let local authorities raise limits where appropriate.

Oxfordshire County Council has supported 275 towns and villages to bring in 20mph speed limits.

Provisional Government data indicates the number of people killed or seriously injured on its roads in 2025 fell by about 18 per cent compared with the previous year.

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The push for lower limits comes as 20mph policies divide opinion nationally.

Wales has 20mph as the default speed limit in built-up areas, while the Scottish Government committed to implementing the limit on “those roads where it is appropriate to do so”.

Some 62 out of 153 local authorities in England have “adopted a policy similar to Scotland”, according to charity Living Streets.

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “Local authorities are responsible for setting speed limits in their areas, and our guidance is that 20mph limits should only be used where they are appropriate and supported by evidence.”