Nearly four in five people support safer rural speeds

A new survey has found that almost four out of five (79%) people in the UK would like to see speeds on single-lane rural roads that pass through rural hamlets or villages reduced from 60mph.

Support for calmer speeds was high across all demographic groups (67-90%), according to the survey of UK adults by YouGov, for the national charity Cycling UK.

The research supports calls from Cycling UK, Living Streets, The Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS) and British Horse Society to reduce speeds on many rural roads and create a safer rural road network that we can all benefit from.

The government’s own Road Safety Strategy, published in January, has committed to heavily reduce fatalities on rural roads, where journeys are disproportionately dangerous. Organisations hope this new evidence of public support will give the government the confidence it needs to progress this immediately, saving lives on narrow country lanes.

Sarah Mitchell, Chief Executive of Cycling UK, said:

These findings demonstrate the overwhelming public support for calmer rural speeds. They should give the government the confidence to move forward and ensure that different speed limits apply on different types of rural roads. It’s what people want, and it will make all our journeys and communities safer.

The government’s Road Safety Strategy sets out a welcome target to reduce the appalling number of deaths and serious injuries on our roads by 65% by 2035 but achieving that target requires immediate action. It’s unacceptable that rural roads account for 60% of road deaths and half of all cyclist deaths.

Ensuring we have calmer speeds on roads manifestly unsuitable for a 60mph limit is something the Government should expedite, and few road safety interventions have this level of public support.

When passing through villages or hamlets, 79% of the public supported speeds being reduced from 60mph on single lane roads, with 78% also supporting speed being reduced on narrow and winding roads. When those in support were asked by how much to reduce speeds, almost 8 in 10 (78%) said speeds should be cut by at least half (reduced to 30-10mph) on single-lane roads that pass through rural hamlets or villages.

Both Cycling UK and Living Streets have repeatedly called for lower speeds as a cornerstone of their shared vision for safer communities.

Living Streets, the UK charity for everyday walking, prioritised safer speeds in its ‘Safer Streets for All’ campaign, working alongside The Bikeability Trust to create places where walking feels safe and attractive.

With pedestrians – especially children, older people and disabled people – more vulnerable to road danger, Living Streets is pushing for reduced speed on rural roads to make journeys safer for everyone.

Catherine Woodhead, Chief Executive of Living Streets, said:

Slower speeds save lives. If someone is struck by a vehicle at 60mph they have a 10% chance of survival. This increases with every mile driven slower.

Through Living Streets’ work with schools and communities, we know that unsafe speeds in rural areas put people off walking, including stopping children from walking to school. Where roads pass through villages, a 20mph speed limit would save lives and increase the number of families who can enjoy the many benefits of an active start to the school day – that’s a win-win.

According to YouGov research, while support for reducing speeds is high across all demographics in all four nations in the UK, there was even stronger support from women and older people. Over three-quarters (86%) of women and 71% of men wanted traffic through rural hamlets and villages to be calmer.

When it comes to narrow and winding roads, over three-quarters (85%) of women wanted speed limits to be lowered, with 71% of men thinking the same. Cycling UK has previously highlighted that lower speeds support healthier lifestyles, strengthens community cohesion, and makes villages and rural roads more attractive places to live, work and visit.

Support for calmer village road speeds was highest among older people, at 90% of over-65s. However, even among young people aged 18 to 24, two-thirds (67%) wanted rural hamlet and village speed reductions.

The difference was marginally less for narrow and windy roads, with 86% of older people and 68% of the youngest group showing support.

While levels of support vary across age groups and road types, the overall trend is clear: a clear majority of people are in favour of action to introduce calmer rural road speeds and make them feel safer.

The research remains consistent with analysis from the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS), which has repeatedly established how lower speed limits and traffic-calming measures can work as part of a wider ‘safe systems’ approach to road safety. Particularly when it comes to improving perceptions of community, rural safety and quality of life.

Jamie Hassall, Executive Director at PACTS, said:

The blanket application of the national speed limit across all single carriageways roads has never been appropriate because of the danger caused by people driving vehicles too fast on routes where people are walking, riding bicycles or horses.

PACTS welcomes these survey results which show that the public know that lowering speed limits reduces the risk of harm for everyone enjoying our countryside. Now it’s time for the government take a national lead and support local authorities across the country in their review of speed limits. We need a new consistency which priorities safety over speed.

When those supportive of slower speeds through villages were asked what the new speed limits should be, nearly four in five (78%) wanted them at least halved (reduced to 30-10mph). The most popular response was 30mph, with more than half of respondents (51%) agreeing.

By contrast, only 2% thought slowing down to 50mph was adequate. When asked the same question about narrow and windy roads, 30mph was also the most popular option, with 38% in support.

Des Payne, Safety Team Manager at British Horse Society, said:

We welcome these findings; as we know many of the road incidents encountered by equestrians happen in more rural areas. It’s positive to see the response to this research as we continue to campaign for greater steps to be taken to make our roads safer for horse riders, carriage drivers and all vulnerable road users.