20 mph limit on all red routes in central London
As of Monday 2nd March 2020 there will be a 20 mph limit on all red routes (TfL run roads) in central London (congestion charge zone). This brings LCC’s long-standing policy of making 20 mph the speed limit on all London roads where people live, work and shop closer to realisation, and with it, the accompanying reduction in the road danger caused by higher speeds.
All inner London boroughs except for Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea have already implemented 20 mph limits on their roads. Westminster is due to make a decision on a 20 mph limit on its roads this spring following a public consultation last year and the City of London is considering lowering the limit below 20 mph on its roads.
The roads affected by the new 20 mph limit are listed here. TfL say it wants to make a further 140 kilometres of its (red route) roads subject to 20 mph limits by 2024. This will put further pressure on boroughs that have yet to impose 20 mph limits even on residential streets to follow suit. This map shows which parts of London still choose to retain 30 mph or higher limits on their roads.
There is a clear association between higher vehicle speeds and the severity of collisions. TfL states that speed is a factor in at least 37% of collisions where a person is killed or is seriously injured on London's streets. According to TfL in the years 2016 to 2018, 131 people were killed in speed-related collisions on London's streets. A further 2,256 people were reported as seriously injured in collisions where speed was recorded as a contributory factor. According to the WHO (World Health Organisation) Pedestrians have been shown to have a 90% chance of survival when struck by a car travelling at 30 km/h (19 mph) or below, but less than 50% chance of surviving an impact at 45 km/h (27 mph).