The Road Safety Foundation is concerned by recent media reports that have misrepresented the conclusions and findings of our academic report ‘Determining Safe Speeds.’
Contrary to some claims, the report does not advocate for the imposition of 10mph speed limits on city roads or 20mph speed limits on rural single carriageway roads. These assertions are categorically inaccurate.
Determining Safe Speeds is a technical research paper intended for practitioners and policy makers. Its purpose is to identify the speeds at which fewer than 10% of people involved in a collision would be killed or seriously injured – a threshold aligned with Safe System principles. The findings indicate that these ‘safe speeds’ are significantly lower than commonly assumed.
As stated in the report: “Translating these findings into policy and practice is complex. Where operating speeds are higher than the speeds identified, the potential strategies are to bring operating speeds down, improve infrastructure provision, or both. Further work is needed to develop comprehensive speed management guidelines.”
The Road Safety Foundation has made no recommendations regarding specific speed limits. However, we do emphasise that “In the meantime, prioritising speed management will substantially reduce fatalities and serious injuries, bringing road systems closer to achieving Vision Zero goals. Any reduction in operating speeds toward the identified ‘safe’ speeds will have a meaningful impact on road safety.”
Misinterpretation of the above can affect the public’s understanding and, as such, we are keen that our research findings are reported accurately.