Campaigners call for 20mph limit

11:37am Monday 6th October 2008

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ROAD safety campaigners have called for a 20mph speed limit in the borough following an increase in the number of child casualties.

Statistics by the Department for Transport show the number of youngsters, aged 14 and under, who were killed or seriously injured on Lewisham's streets rose to 17 last year compared with 13 in 2006.

Meanwhile the number of pedestrians killed or seriously injured in the same periods increased from 37 to 50.

Although the number of serious casualties among car users, decreased from 37 to 31, Lewisham's Green party has called for a lower speed limit to specifically help protect pedestrians.

Green councillor Darren Johnson, said: "With a default 20mph speed limit, fewer road humps are needed than with limited home zones', and it is easier to communicate the message that 20mph is the appropriate speed on residential roads where children and people of all ages need to be able to walk about safely.

"Lower speed limits don't just create safer streets for everyone, they also mean better air quality and lower carbon emissions as they encourage more people to walk and cycle."

But chairman of the British Drivers Association, Roger Lawson, argues that a 20mph speed limit would be ineffective, saying: "It is gesture politics once again from the Green party.

"There are two big problems about an idea like this. Firstly it would cost a fortune to put up speed signs all across the borough as people passing through from other areas would not be aware of the Lewisham rules.

"Secondly people would simply not adhere to the law and the compliance rate would be very low.

"Such ideas have just not been thought through properly."

Meanwhile deputy mayor, Councillor Heidi Alexander, said: "The loss of any life through a road traffic accident is one too many and that is why, as a council, we are always striving to improve safety on our roads.

"In 2007 we saw the numbers of people killed or seriously injured on Lewisham roads fall by 6 per cent - this includes people in cars and motorcyclists as well as those on foot and bicycles".

Road traffic accident casualty figures for Lewisham (Source: Department of Transport)

For more statistics on road casualty rates in the UK click here