20mph speed limits to cut roads toll: VOTE

DRIVERS are being asked to slow down to 20mph in Rotherham’s built-up areas to keep pedestrians safe.

DRIVERS are being asked to slow down to 20mph in Rotherham’s built-up areas to keep pedestrians and cyclists safe.

Road safety charity Brake launched its GO20 campaign at the Lifewise Centre, Hellaby, at the start of Road Safety Week yesterday.

The campaign aims to make walking and cycling safer in Yorkshire and Humberside.

Brake says that a survey of 424 children in Yorkshire and Humberside carried out with its partners, the Brain Injury Group and Specsavers, reveals how children are being affected by danger from fast traffic.

According to the survey:

Two-thirds say drivers need to slow down around their home and school
Two-thirds say they would be able to walk and cycle more if roads in their neighbourhood were safer
Four in 10 say they have been hit or nearly hit while walking or cycling, and nearly half worry about being hurt by traffic when out and about.

In Yorkshire and Humberside, Hull became the first UK city to introduce widespread 20mph limits in the 1990s.

York is now set to make all residential streets 20mph by 2014, and Sheffield decided this summer to roll out 20mph limits across the city, starting in residential areas around schools.

Brake is calling for more authorities to GO 20; the government to work towards 20mph being the norm in all communities and drivers to pledge to GO 20 in built up areas, even where 30 limits remain.

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The charity says that drivers have more time to stop if necessary at 20mph and surveys show there are fewer casualties among pedestrians and cyclists when the speed limit is cut from 30mph to 20mph.

It says cutting the limit also makes for healthy outdoor activity, less pollution and better community interaction.

Brake also says statistics show that every week in Yorkshire and Humberside, 10 adults and five children (age 0-17) are killed or seriously hurt when on foot or bike.