Plans to cut speed limits to 20mph delayed by Scottish Government

The Scottish Government has delayed the rollout of 20mph speed limits after missing a key target.

Ministers had wanted all appropriate 30 zones to be cut by ten miles per hour by the New Year, but that target has been pushed back to the end of March, with patchy progress across the country.

It comes as the Scottish Government recently dropped plans to reduce the speed limit on country roads from 60 to 50mph, after they proved unpopular in a public consultation.

A road safety charity branded the move “disappointing” and urged the Scottish Government to press on with the rollout of new 20mph limits as soon as possible.

“It’s disappointing the target is going to be missed, but it’s good to know it’s not being removed completely, and a new one that is still quite near to us is being set,” said Luca Straker, campaign manager for road safety charity BRAKE.

Figures released by Road Safety Scotland show that in 2022, 30% of all car casualties in Scotland happened on 30mph roads.

The figures also show that 54% of all pedal cyclist casualties and 69% of pedestrian casualties happened on 30mph roads.

Meanwhile, research shows people hit by a car driving at 30mph are seven times more likely to die than if they were hit at 20mph.

In St Andrews, the 30mph speed limit was reduced by 10mph across the town around a year ago.

It is something the Scottish Government wants to replicate in communities throughout the country, but it has had to rely on councils to do the majority of the work.

It appears that Scotland’s 32 local authorities have been moving at different speeds.

In a statement, Transport Scotland said the Government was committed to its new target of March for the 20mph limit rollout, with a £10m investment for local authorities to impose the measure.