[ad_1]
Residents in Abergavenny are now very familiar with 20mph
The quaint journey into Abergavenny from the south requires a speed reduction from 30 to 20mph. At first, there’s little change, but soon enough, the A40 transforms from a semi-rural trunk road into a bustling route through the town centre.
If you were to give an alien a quick tour of South Wales’ most picturesque towns, this speed alteration would likely go unnoticed. However, in Abergavenny, this seemingly minor change has sparked intense debate and shaped political opinions across Wales.
Tuesday, September 17, marks one year since the introduction of the default 20mph speed limit. Statistics indicate a decrease in casualties, including severe and sometimes fatal accidents.
Despite these figures, public opinion across Wales remains largely unchanged. Recent polls reveal clear opposition to the policy, reports Wales Online.
In Abergavenny, locals have had more time to adjust; the town was among several trial areas to introduce the speed limit in March 2022 before the rest of Wales followed suit in September 2023.
Councillor Laura Wright says things have changed significantly in the time since she was elected
READ MORE Travel expert’s exact dates to save up to £120 on autumn holidays ]
Wales’ new default speed limit has been a hot topic for discussion, and we sat down with Monmouthshire county councillor Laura Wright in Abergavenny to gain insight into local opinions.
Cllr Wright, representing Grofield ward which encompasses an area surrounding the A40, has noticed a significant shift in public sentiment since the speed restriction was introduced.
She said: “When I was first elected here in May 2022, I got a lot of complaints about 20mph. People were unhappy with feeling so restricted, they said it was going to affect businesses and tourism, and I would say it was instinctively unpopular.”
But perceptions seem to have taken a swift turn as she admitted: “I’ve actually been a little bit surprised by the sea change I’ve seen from 2022 to now. It’s been really huge… People are really keen on it – overwhelmingly. I’ve had no complaints about 20mph for months – months, honestly! I would say, from people who live in central Abergavenny, it’s really popular now.”
Despite being a Labour councillor and advocating for the party’s 20mph policy at Welsh Government level, Cllr Wright’s observations in Abergavenny may not reflect the wider sentiment across Wales. A YouGov survey in July revealed that 72% of Welsh adults opposed the 20mph default speed limit, with 40% admitting to breaking it frequently.
However, Abergavenny’s unique semi-rural character, complete with narrow lanes and pedestrian zones, might naturally favour a slower pace.
Cllr Wright has noted an uptick in business activity along the A40 since the introduction of the 20mph limit, with locals now clamouring for stricter enforcement rather than opposing the policy. They’re requesting traffic calming measures to ensure compliance with the new speed regime.
Patrick was in favour of the change
Our team joined enforcers in Abergavenny earlier this year to witness the 20mph limit in action the full experience is detailed in our report.
Subsequent conversations with Abergavenny residents aimed to verify these claims. When questioned about the apparent shift in public opinion, Cllr Wright suggested it could be due to a mix of factors: people beginning to see the benefits and critics gradually adapting to the change.
“I think it’s probably a combination,” she remarked.
“But I do think primarily it is people who are just changing their mindset about it and, through experience, are enjoying the benefits. Walking through town is much more pleasant than it used to be. Especially in the winter you get splashed by cars a lot less.
“On narrow residential streets around here where you’ve got cars parked on both sides or the visibility is not very good, people feel a lot safer going out with their dogs, their children and cycling about the place. We’re really promoting active travel – walking and cycling – in Abergavenny. Bringing the overall speed limit down to 20 has been really positive for that.”
On compliance matters, Councillor Wright met with police as they monitored traffic close to the A40 and is collaborating with local officers and GoSafea consortium of police forces and councilsto set up a community speed watch “because so many residents are keen on stronger enforcement of 20mph.”
Paul Cable is a well-known face in Abergavenny
She pointed out specific areas of concern such as the A40 near Nevill Hall Hospital, adding: “One of the things that always frustrates me is people saying ‘well I definitely support it outside schools and hospitals’ and yet there is a bit of a speeding problem outside the hospital itself because it’s so near the transition from 20 to 30 to 60… frustratingly we see more of a problem by the hospital than we do through the centre of the town.”
Cllr Wright admitted that whilst locals are all for the 20mph speed limit, there’s collective exasperation over those who flout the rules. Pounding the pavements of the town centre, it’s clear that people here do support the idea, albeit with views diverging on its effectiveness across different streets.
Discussing speed limits near the local hospital is a controversial topic; many express sheer frustration at vehicles zooming past, putting lives at risk.
When it comes to gauging community sentiment, Paul Cable might just be Abergavenny’s most plugged-in resident. A newsagent, famed muralist and part-time Santa, Cable shares his insights, revealing the townspeople have adapted better than anticipated: “better than expected – it’s all new to us obviously, but they’ve got used to it. It’s okay now.”
He added: “By now, the honeymoon period is truly over – yea or nay. I think it’s a good thing. It needs a little bit of a tweak, maybe – but I’d say 80% for it, 20% needs a bit of a tweak.”
He argues for logic-based adjustments, remarking: “Common sense prevails, surely. When you come up against a nursing home or a school, buildings of that nature, you naturally slow down… there are areas that are about a mile long and the landscape is flat, industrial, highly visible – that surely needs to be tweaked to 30 rather than 20.”
Local entrepreneur Mr Cable and hairdresser Debbie, who works at a nearby barber’s shop, share their thoughts on traffic changes. Debbie believes it’s a trickier task to navigate safely, commenting: “I think it’s a good idea, just not as far wide as it is on the main roads,” and stressing, “The side roads where the schools are and the children play I have no problem, but it is very hard to stick to 20mph from the top of the Mardy down.”
She adds, revealing her stress behind the wheel, “You get frustrated people behind you, and I tend to find I’m watching my speedometer more than I am watching the road sometimes. But if it saves lives then I’ve got no qualms with it staying.”
It’s crunch time for numbers, and although still preliminary, they suggest the lower speed limit does indeed save lives or at least reduces injuries. Following the overhaul which shifted most 30mph zones to 20mph, figures indicate a 26% decrease in overall casualties – dropping from 510 to 377 between the first quarters of the previous and current year.
Moreover, those seriously injured or killed in accidents have seen a 23% downturn, while outright fatalities halved from 11 to five. However, this promising data coincides with reports disclosing a surge in drivers flouting the 20mph limit, raising safety questions amidst the enforcement success.
Debbie expressed mixed feelings about the new traffic measures, saying: “I do see the benefits to a degree but I think in some of the areas there’s not a lot of pedestrians and I’m thinking: is it really needed around there? There are some places where it’s not needed to be 20, even if they could make it 25. They’ve taken it sometimes a little bit too far.”
Hairdresser Debbie says if 20mph saves lives then she is on board
She also noted a change in her own driving habits: “I’ve got more used to it being 20, and I do notice if I’m doing 30 it feels fast, so it obviously does work. I forget sometimes and I do tend to look and think ‘oh my god I’m doing 30 and I should be doing 20.'”
Gillian Davies echoed similar sentiments, offering cautious support for the policy: “For the most part, I agree with it. It’s just in certain places on faster roads it’s really difficult to drive at 20mph. But on the estate I live and on the quieter roads I agree with it.”
Since adjusting to the speed limit changes, Gillian has noticed a positive shift in her perspective: “I’m sure it does prevent a lot of accidents. What I do feel is a lot of motorists get frustrated and there’s quite a lot of tailgating which is not very nice.”
Conversations with pedestrians revealed a mix of opinions, with some support, some dissatisfaction, and frequent comments about drivers ignoring the limit near the hospital. Visitors from other parts of Wales also mentioned non-compliance issues.
A business owner on the A40 confirmed that the policy had indeed increased footfall.
Councillor Laura Wright says complaints about 20mph have fallen
Visitors from England, Julian and Louise from York, have expressed their befuddlement over the 20mph speed limit encountered during their trip. While acknowledging its merits around educational establishments, Julian commented: “We can see why it’s in place but it seems to be about schools and that type of thing, so maybe having a time restriction rather than an all-day policy would be a lot better. I just find it quite hard to drop down and stay at 20mph, especially when there’s no traffic cameras in front of you.”
Louise chimed in on the challenge of adhering to the slower pace: “You don’t intend to speed but sometimes it’s just really hard to stabilise at 20mph. I do think it’s better than speed bumps, though, because they damage your car.”
Despite some quibbles and inquiries for certain streets to revert to pre-limit conditions, the prevailing sentiment within Abergavenny is one of tranquillity, not outright acceptance or continuous objection, but peace. Long-term residents seem to endorse the 20mph limit as the new normal, particularly with data underscoring its effectiveness.
Patrick, paying a visit from Newport, advocates for composure: “I’m in favour of it. I moved to Newport a year ago from England and I think it’s a good idea. It probably does save lives, it’s sensible – I can understand why people get annoyed about it and it’s not affected me so much as I live in a small city where traffic’s quite slow anyway.”
“I know a lot of people do push it, exceed it, but I don’t think it makes that much difference to people’s lives and I don’t understand why there’s that much opposition to it. I think too much has been made out of it. It’s trying to protect people, kids especially.”
Gillian Davies says some drivers like to tailgate if you’re adamantly following the speed limit
A representative for GoSafe stated: “Published speed data from Agilysis and Transport of Wales (TfW) shows that people are driving slower in 20mph limits. The provisional police recorded collision data also shows that the total number of people killed or injured on Welsh roads is 16% lower than in the same period of 2023.
“GoSafe have always used a combination of engagement and enforcement. Following the change in default speed limit, additional funding from the Welsh Government allowed us to expand our roadside engagement through Operation Ugain teams.
“They have now monitored 221,097 vehicles in 20mph areas across Wales. They have delivered 8,096 free engagement sessions as an alternative to prosecution. There has been no change in the amount of enforcement we provide, only an increase in roadside engagement through Operation Ugain. We will continue to work closely with our partners across Wales to engage with communities following the legislative change.
“The public have been writing to us and asking our teams to support safe speeds in their local area, to further protect pedestrians, cyclists and other vulnerable road users. Fixed cameras we reviewed in 2024 and adjusted where necessary to support compliance with the speed limit. These are installed where the risk of fatal or serious collisions is highest.
“Advice letters were issued for the first four weeks following the activation of any fixed camera in Wales. These letters allow us to engage first and inform the public of the correct speed limit. This method supports our aim of achieving compliance with the speed limit for safety reasons, and only using enforcement as a last resort.”
[ad_2]