20's Plenty

A number of streets in Weybridge have speeds lower than 30mph - they are mainly private streets but Portmore Park is a 20mph zone too.  I think that all urban streets should have a 20mph limit - excluding classified roads. Surrey's Conservative-run administration has rejected a call by the Liberal Democrats for Surrey's speed limits policy to be changed to make it easier for 20mph zones to be introduced where evidence says they are required and they are supported by local residents. Liberal Democrat Environment and Transportation spokesperson Councillor Stephen Cooksey (Dorking and the Holmwoods) said: "In May 2006 Surrey unanimously approved a motion on 20mph speed limits initially proposed by Liberal Democrat Councillor David Goodwin. That motion said that where appropriate Surrey should consider reducing speeds in urban and rural areas through measures such as creating 20 mph zones and called on Surrey to produce a report on the effectiveness of the introduced 20 mph zones with recommendations for any future development of road safety policy. "In the six years since that motion was passed, and only three 20mph schemes have been implemented in the whole of Surrey. "Evidence has shown that reducing the normal residential speed limit from 30mph to 20mph would make roads much safer, that 20mph speed limits decrease child pedestrian accidents by 70% and that half of the people hit by a car at 30mph will die whilst only 10% of people hit by a car at 20 mph will die. "Whilst neighbouring councils such as West Sussex and Kingston have successfully introduced 20mph zones, Surrey's Conservative administration has failed to make progress. "I hoped that Surrey's Conservatives would join with me and my Liberal Democrat colleagues in wishing to improve road safety by introducing 20mph speed limits where evidence says they are required and they are supported by local residents. I am sorry that the Conservatives do not think that the safety of pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders on Surrey's highways is an important priority."