More 20mph zones to cut road deaths

COUNCILS should be given more powers to introduce 20mph speed limits in a bid to reduce accidents, a report today says.

The Commons Transport Select Committee said the death toll on the roads should be seen as “the major public health problem of our age”.

MPs say ways must be found to satisfy the call of local communities for safer streets.

The report “Ending The Scandal of Complacency: Road Safety Beyond 2010” says: “We recommend that local authorities be given the powers and resources to introduce 20-mph limits much more widely. Flexibility is required to avoid the prohibitive costs associated with some approaches. The balance of engineering measures, technology, policing and community influence should be a local matter.”

Oldham’s cabinet member for environment and infrastructure Mark Alcock welcomed the recommendation.

He said: “The council is currently in the process of conducting a review of its implementation of 20 mile an hour zones, with the view of reducing the speed limit in all residential areas in the future.

“The safety of all resident especially children, is a top priority and we feel that one of the best ways to protect people is to reduce the speed limit on residential streets.”

MPs also want roadside breath test devices to be approved, a lower drink-drive limit and tougher penalties for alcohol-related offences.

Commons committee chairman Louise Ellman said: “We need to start seeing this (road deaths) not only as a collection of individual tragedies but also as the major public health problem. The deaths of three thousand people and injuries to a quarter of a million are a staggering annual toll to pay.”

The committee also repeated its call for novice drivers to be banned from carrying teenage passengers between 11pm and 5am.