We propose that all residential areas as well as town centre areas should be 20mph zones. This proposal compliments our proposal for a network of cycle infrastructure, that will allow travel between areas of Whitby and District. People need to be able to get from their homes, workplaces, retail venues to the nearest cycle path (once they are built in Whitby and District’s case), which is why we propose a default 20mph, meaning that people can cycle on roads with a level of safety without the need for specific cycle infrastructure over the relatively short distances needed, and pedestrians would be safer also.

The rationale behind this default 20mph proposal is

• Safety : This would reduce the likelihood of any road collisions between motor vehicles and pedestrians / people on bicycles (2/3 of all serious collisions with people happen in 30mph zones). There are ample reports describing the safety benefits of a 20mph speed limit, such as this one from ROSPA, this one in the BMJ, as well as governmental analysis of the effectiveness. Roadwise UK estimate that the mortality rate for a pedestrian from a collision at 20mph is 2.5% whereas at 30mph it is 20%. Given that road collisions involving pedestrians or cyclists are on the rise, and that default 20mph could significantly reduce this, it should be a high priority for highways authorities. You can view road collision report history for North Yorkshire on this page.
• Reduced pollution : Healthier places to live. Tests have demonstrated reduced emissions (CO2, Particulates and NOx) by moving to 20mph.
• Reduced road noise : Makes neighbourhoods more pleasant places without the drone of traffic. Tests have shown that there is typically a 3dB reduction in noise by going to 20mph from 30mph.
• Promote Cycling : It would make it more viable to utilise a bike within that area, as part of getting to a cycle path, and also children can make use of their Bikeability training and gain confidence in their own areas before going out on to bike paths.
• Cost Effective : It would mean we wouldn’t need to provide cycle infrastructure in those areas (and in the majority of existing residential areas the roads are too narrow to provide infrastructure). Dropping a speed limit to 20mph from 30mph is significantly cheaper than providing bike segregation. Deployment across the UK has shown that this typically costs between £3 and £5 per head to implement, a one-off cost that pays for itself in months due to lower collision rates and fewer potholes.

This same measure is often effective around schools, but when it is solely for the extent of the school it usually results in people accelerating once they leave that small section; having residential zones would encourage more driving at a constant 20mph hence lower pollution. Changing to a default 20mph would align with the SBC Local Plan (9.12) which states “To improve the safety of pedestrians and cyclists, the Highways Authority will endeavour, where appropriate, to ensure all new layouts of residential streets restrict vehicle speeds to 20mph”; however the Local Plan advice is only for new developments so we need to cater for existing areas too.

There is a societal push for this measure in many places, with many groups getting together campaigning as “20sPlenty” for 20mph for urban areas, the UN General Assembly calling for it, WHO calling for it, Spain adopting it, Wales adopting it (from Sept 2023), Scotland starting to roll it out, and many towns and cities in the UK (40+% of the population) have already adopted it. Nearer to home, Middlesbrough rolled out default 20mph with observed drop in collisions, as has York, and Darlington. In the NYC area, >150 town / parish councils have voted in favour of default 20mph, and the Harrogate and Knaresborough, and Selby committees of NYC has voted for areas of Harrogate to be in Phase 1 of a rollout of default 20mph. It is only a matter of time before the UK Government will adopt it. The fact is that default 20mph will come to Whitby sooner or later, but we feel that councillors should be proactive and not hold their residents back.

To respond to some of the arguments against 20mph zones

• Will the overall journey time be longer with such zones? Research by the University of Bristol calculated this to be only 10 seconds per mile of zone, so for the typical residential area in Whitby it would be inconsequential. The same has been found for journey times on buses operating in 20mph zoned streets.
• Will emissions rise and fuel efficiency fall at 20mph? Research shows that maintaining a steady 20mph is the most efficient speed, and it is the speeding up and slowing down that causes the emissions and inefficiency. Features such as speed bumps can result in such speed up / down, and consequently they are advised against. Pollution reduction has been observed in studies. You can read more here.
• Won’t drivers just ignore the limit without additional measures? No. The majority of drivers do comply in the places where these measures have been introduced. Where additional measures are necessary, the use of inexpensive measures like signs, lines, planters and staggered parking is effective. Many councils are implementing default 20mph without the need for enforcement, such as Scottish Borders, Oxfordshire, Cornwall, Kent, as well as Wales.
• 20mph is not enforceable. Really? Maybe you can tell that to the 23000 drivers who received speeding fines for exceeding 20mph in Avon and Somerset area in 2021. A setting on a speed gun is all it takes, so a police force could enforce 20mph just like they could enforce 30mph.
• A default 20mph is controversial. No, it isn’t. In surveys, it consistently comes out as having 70% or more support amongst the public, and this only increases once it is implemented in an area.