‘Slow to 20mph’ campaign appeal to motorists

Organisations including the road safety charity, Brake, and the sustainable transport body, Sustrans, have united to launch the GO 20 project in an effort to make the routes safer for walkers and cyclists.

The GO 20 launch at the start of Road Safety Week comes as supporters claim lower speed limits help reduce fatalities. York is currently trialling 20mph zones, while other locations including Portsmouth, Oxford, Leicester, Norwich and Newcastle-upon-Tyne have also enforced lower limits. The campaign’s launch has coincided with the publication of a survey of more than 8,000 children aged seven to 11 in which 43 per cent of the youngsters said they have been hit or nearly hit while walking or cycling.

Brake’s deputy chief executive, Julie Townsend, said: “Everyone should be able to walk and cycle in their community without fear or threat – it’s a basic right, and GO 20 is about defending that.”

The Department for Transport welcomed the campaign and confirmed it is revising guidance on speed limits in urban areas.

email [email protected]