More 20mph zones are key to road safety says Ken

10:04am Monday 14th April 2008

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LONDON'S streets could have a default speed limit of 20mph if Ken Livingstone is re-elected as mayor.

Speaking at the annual conference of Roadpeace - the national charity for road crash victims - last week Labour's mayoral candidate announced his plans for safer roads in the capital.

Mr Livingstone suggested that all thirty-two London boroughs should adopt a 20mph limit, with exemptions made for non-residential roads - such as the primary routes in and out of the city.

At the moment some London boroughs already use the 20mph limit in certain areas - Tower Hamlets and Kingston-upon-Thames have more than 30.

But others - like Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster - have none.

Mr Livingstone said: "There are few more important issues for our local neighbourhoods than having safer streets, which is why I want to see 20mph become the standard speed limit on all of London's residential streets.

"If I am re-elected I will work with London's boroughs to achieve this.

"Most Londoners are unaware of the hidden toll of children and adults killed or seriously injured on London's roads each year."

He added: "The fundamental cause of road deaths is the speed of traffic.

"Nine out of ten pedestrians will be killed if hit by a car travelling at 40mph, but only one in forty will die if hit at 20mph."

Tory candidate Boris Johnson, is opposed to the change and wants re-phasing of traffic lights to speed up Londoner's journeys.

He said in a radio interview that pedestrians present the greatest hazard to other road users.

Mr Johnson is reported to have said: "I would say as a cyclist that I think pedestrians are the most dangerous feature on the roads at the moment".