Shropshire Star

At least give 20mph a trial

Why has it been decided that councillors will consider whether a blanket 20mph speed limit will be set for Shropshire’s residential roads?

Published

It must be patently obvious that a) motorists are against any kind of speed limit and that b) the majority of councillors will be motorists!

The scrutiny meeting in February on this subject was rejected by the committee of five/seven councillors. The object is to save lives and serious injuries on our roads but not even a trial was considered!

Almost 4,000 people are killed on the world’s roads every day by the estimated 1.2 billion cars on the world’s roads and it is an international scandal that this is given little publicity!

Bridget Driscoll, aged 44, was the first Briton killed on our roads by a motor vehicle in August 1896 by one of the first cars ever made.

There were less than 20 cars in the whole country at that time, they frightened the horses more that the pedestrians. You will appreciate that there was no driving test or licence or Highway Code at that time, not even a suggestion of which part of the road the motorist should use.

Cars are faster and more powerful now. Large sections of our island has been designated to the motorist – motorways, car parks.

Little is allocated to the pedestrian except a pavement and where does the motorist prefer to park?

Driving standards are deteriorating, not helped by drink, drugs and mobile phones – a 20mph limit in our county towns would unquestionably save lives and it would be criminal not to even trial the system!

Bob Wydell, Oswestry

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