I live on a road with a 30MPH limit and only small sections of which have a pavement. What are the pedestrians to do? We are either trapped in our houses or we have to walk on the road? The traffic speed was monitored for a week and the average found to be OVER 46 MPH! Not much human judgment here.

Gary Knight, Chew Stoke, UK

Put cameras on all 30mph zones - and remove them from 60 mph zones if they're really about safety & not revenue.

Mike McGovern, York,

the use of so called calming measures and cameras has been mostly ineffective. the damage to the cars supsension etc will be significant as will the knock on effects. roads are for cars, not pedestrians. whatever happened to the green cross code?

robert cohen, cheadle, cheshire

Speed isn't the problem, inappropriate speed is the problem.

whatever happened to human judgment?

Karim, Knysna,

Kris of Bristol,

That is exactly what a zebra crossing is for. When approaching one every motorist ought to slow down on that basis. No pedestrian should have to wait at a zebra crossing until the traffic has stopped. Why do you think that they have two bloody great big yellow lights either side?

Ian Rapley, Muscat, Oman

I have never learned to drive and I despise selfish motorists. I see them everyday elevating the smallest man to a position of power.
I dream of a day when I can smell fresh air in a city centre that is presently infested by these infernal machines. Oil has caused more deaths than religion.

Julian, Leicester, UK

Wipe out unemployment - bring back the man/woman with the red flag!!

Mike, Lancaster, UK

Why are there so many car drivers who have a problem with going slower? Would it really matter if it was your fault when you killed a pedestrian? Would you feel ok about it if they had "stupidly stepped out in front of you"? As a paramedic who has witnessed peoples' pain, I don't think so. Grow up!

A C, Somerset, Somerset

The AA mislead when they claim that cutting a speed limit from 30 to 20mph would increase an average car’s fuel consumption by 5.8mpg. Their figures are based on steady-speed driving - which simply does not happen in urban areas. 20mph urban limits actually cut stop-start fuel consumption.

Rebecca, London,

It's not just drivers causing pedestrians to get run over. Pedestrians need to pay more attention and learn the basics about crossing the road. Preferably without a cell phone stuck in their ear.

Adrian Tysoe, Brit in Sacramento, UAS

Laura Roberts - Surely the cause of a road accident is the car that hits the pedastrian?!
Ian, Leeds, UK

No!! The cause is whatever created the scenario that meant the car and pedestrian collided. The collision is a CONSEQUENCE, it's NOT A CAUSE.

Find the cause. What happened and why?

Laura Roberts, London, United Kingdom

Legislation, legislation, legislation. Unfortunately, nobody to enforce it. All pretty pointless really.

Neil, Gloucestershire, England

It might be a good idea to teach people not to walk into the road without looking - just an idea!

While we're at it, why not replace every lamp-post with a speed camera?

Mike, Lancaster, UK

Road safety..Huh...another money making scheme more like..speed cameras will be everywhere ,and i am sure the fines will roll in..people will be banned, then take to the roads uninsured and with no licence..

Robert, Bristol,

I live on a residential street that is also a handy cut through. Cars speed along as if they were on a motorway, honking and cutting each other up. All urban streets should have 20 mph speed limits AND there should be a 'courteous driving' test before they are even allowed to get behind the wheel

Martha, London,

Laura Roberts - Surely the cause of a road accident is the car that hits the pedastrian?!

Ian, Leeds, UK

This is pointless. By this time next year Saudia Arabia's inability to pump more crude will have forced all but the super-rich from their cars - returning the urban environment to the people at last.

McGlashan, Energy Capital of Europe,

If you see a pedestrian that looks like they are going to cross the road, anticipate that they will and be ready for it. All drivers need to practice their observation, planning and anticipation. Too many people drive their cars without focussing on the important things.

Ian, Nottingham, UK

Kizz: if I'm driving at 20mph and a pedestrian doesn't look where they are going, steps out in front of my car, and I kill him, you're saying I should be banned for driving for life.

Whenever there's an accident, everyone rushes to examine the speed of the car driver. Why not examine the CAUSE?

Laura Roberts, London, United Kingdom

I was recently driving in France where the 30kph (c.20mph) limit is popular in villages and urban areas. In these conditions, the limit made a lot of sense - as did the 130kph (c.85mph) limit on their motorways.

Basil Hume, Bristol,

wait, simple solution. if you kill whilst in command of a motor vehicle, you should be banned from driving for life, simple.

if you are responsible for others losing their lives on the roads, you should have that responsibility taken from you. Corporate manslaughter should be enacted.

kizz, winsford, uk

20 mph? Why not make it 10mph? Or 5? Or ban driving altogether - then there will be no road deaths at all. That will solve the problem, surely.

Andy Barnes, Reading, UK

4WDs should be restricted in side streets an completely banned near schools. These are off road vehicles and not for the middle of cities.

Mike, DUbai,

It would be nice to reach 20mph one day, Britains roads are now so congested, and badly maintained, it's not possible in many cases to even reach it. Having said that- 20mph limit monitored in a built up residential area makes more sense that speed cameras in clear areas just to run up revenue.

Phil A, Headley, UK

Good idea, get rid of those ridiculous speedbumps and chicanes. 20MPH... don't we all slow down anyway if there is even a slight chance someone might walk out in front of us?

I would hope that the 70MPH limit on motorways will now be increased now since the 'figures' show safer behicles?

Steve Aynsley, Blyth, Northumberland

Sherif, London: Airbags are designed to work in conjunction with seatbelts, not instead of them. You can try crashing into a wall at 30 mph without a seatbelt and relying on the airbag if you like, but you will probably die or be horrifically injured. Airbags in US cars are much bigger.

Dave, Andover, UK

I've never been in the situation, but I'm pretty sure if I knocked down and killed a child, even if I was going at or below the speed limit, I would give anything to go back in time and travel along that road 10 mph slower this time.

Dave, Andover, UK

It is clear from the comments here that there are many motorists who have little regard for the wellbeing of other road users. If they cannot be educated to change their ways then the only recourse for a civilised high tech society is to make all offenders fit speed limiters.

Clive Stringer, Eggesford, England

Most new cars have cruise control, and many have parking sensors - combine the two, put a big button on the dash marked '20' and you have a system that will stop you getting ANY speeding fines AND stop you hitting other road users - cost to manufacturers - 50p, cost to exchequer - MILLIONS !

Damon's leftknee, Bundaberg, Australia

England & Wales mortality rate approx 1/2mil per year. 3000 deaths therefore approx 0.5%. What % of 3000 are actual pedestrians / cyclists & occur within urban areas.
Another go at cash spend & making the gov look good with no real point? ( unless you losetsomeone close & then 0mph is to fast )

Mark, warwick,

I read with interest the comments and it is clear that the majority of people are the type that plague our road in Midhurst using it as a rat run, this is made worse by the large numbers that flock to the Festival of Speed and like events held at Goodwood Race Track many living out their dreams.

Robert Mackett, Midhurst, England

The governement do not seem to realise that driving a car at 20Mph is going to increase the amount of pollution emitted, compared to driving at a more economical speed of 30? It seems to me that they are setting out plans but not thinking of the consequences in other areas.

Christopher, Oxford,

Instead of making people do these things why not just educate predestrians and drivers of how to deal with each other.

Fact being, kids need to be tought about how to cross the road properly from literally the age of 2-3 years. It's amazing that kids of 13 years old still run onto roads!!!!!!!!!

Andy, england,

Yet another law that won't be enforced.

In my street virtually everybody parks on the pavement because they've spend to much on their stupid 4x4 cars that they can't afford a decent-sized garage or a parking permit. Neither parking attendants or police pay any notice.

Mikey, Bromley, Kent

Its all part of my plan to recreate Communism in the United Peoples Republic of the Kingdom.
If it all goes wrong I'll just run back to Scotland.......

Gordon, Westminster,

I find it amazing, the number of drivers ranting about pedestrians and cyclists being at fault for being hit by cars on city streets. Even better, the absurd argument that if you're driving slower, the lack of excitement might make you concentrate less and hit a pedestrian!! Shame on you.

Dr Jimmy, Bath,

Driving slowly requires little attention, so may well cause an increase in accidents.

Just one car driving at 30mph through town (single lane) causes the traffic behind to be limited to 30mph , but it rarely moves that slowly. Case of a lot of people saying one thing, doing another.

Clive, Surrey,

Reduce the population by a third, and hey presto! the road deaths are dramatically reduced!
We are toooooo crowded!

Pete, St Albans, England

Barriers are the solution!

Keep the cars off the pavements and the kids out of the road, and the danger evaporates.

Also, how about £1,000 fine and/or three months for parents that permit, or even encourage, their kids to play in the road. These idiots need to take some responsibility, too!

Mike Hart, London, England

Perhaps such penalties should also be imposed upon pedestrians who carelessly enter the carriageway resulting in accidents. And not forgetting the two wheeled vehicles - cyclists - who these days act completely disregarding traffic laws, perhaps confiscation of the bicycle?

Chris Goodman, Fareham, England

Can this government start, for a change, looking at the economy, reducing the bureaocracy and the barmy laws that they have created in the first place?

Noone can drive more than 20 mph anyway given the amount of traffic humps already on roads.

emma, london,

Seat belts! Can someone explain the myth of why do we have to wear seatbelts today while most cars have curtain airbags?
We have side airbags, pillar airbags, passenger airbag and many more.

sherif, london, uk

People don't drive at a constant speed they are continuously accelerating and decelerating in town. Accelerating to 20mph will always use less fuel than to 30 so ditch the myth.
You shouldn't be concentrating on the cameras either. Get in the habit at driving at the correct speed and forget them.

Ian, Paris, France

No use whatsoever unless they can and are enforced.

Joan Mctigue, Middlesbrough, UK

More pavements on roads, eg rural roads would cut pedestrian deaths, plus teach the highway code in schools - I've lost count of the number of people walking with their back to oncoming traffic.

Jenny, Worcester, UK

How many arrests have been made for:

1. Going 270 round a roundabout in the outside lane and causing a collision?
2. Middle lane driving on a motorway forcing others to undertake 4 lane changes to get round them, each time a danger?
3. Tailgating and crashing?
4. Buses pulling out and crashing?

0?

Laura Roberts, London, United Kingdom

People will continue to speed through these 20mph zones regardeless .How do i know? There has been one outside a local school for over 3 years it makes no difference, neither does the pedestrian crossing. stop wasting money and educate pedestrians and drives better,and punish BOTH for dangerous acts

Andrew, Gloucester,

Make hybrid propulsion compulsory for automanufacturers, with the electric engine covering the speeds up to 50mph. Reduce the speed within inner cities/towns to "whatever".

Reduced
1. CO2
2. Noise
3. hopefully accidents too

....but thats too simple

T. Andre, London,

You can ride a bicycle faster than 20mph, going in a car at this speed is brain numbing and sends you to sleep, and i dont like sleeping and driving.

ANTON, immingham, England

I doubt the 20mph limits will change anything; sure the figures will be fudged so that the government 'makes target' but all that will happen is that people who were previously law-abiding will be criminalised. Laws have to be SEEN to be fair too. Remmeber, you will NEVER legislate for stupidity

Andy, Winchester,

3000 road deaths per year out of a population of 60-70 million is so small a fraction as to be an acceptable risk.

Hence draconian measures designed to raise revenue for the chancellor really aren't necessary, especially when they aren't effective in reducing road deaths.

Chris, Kent, UK

What are pedestrians doing on the road to be hit by a car at ANY speed?
Drivers hitting pedestrians on pavements, crossings, etc should be prosecuted to the limit of the law - agreed.
Pedestrians being hit otherwise should be treated likewise, in the event of their survival.

Chris, St Leonards, UK

Oh Surprise, Surprise!! This government clobbers the motorist AGAIN!

I believe this was originally a Ken Livingstone idea which says it all.....

Ben, London, UK

A barmy set of laws that will achieve nothing. Those who flout the law create the problems. The real solution is to catch those without tax, driving licence or insurance and confiscate their cars. There would be an immediate reduction in motoring offences.

Trevor Dee, Torbay, UK

For those who claim that those who drive like loonies never get punished and the poor (diddums) speeders do: check the court pages in your local newspaper. You'll find plenty of convictions for driving without due care and attention, driving without insurance/a license, etc.

M.R., Stockport,

This 20mph limit needs to be in villages as well as towns and cities.

Alice, Cambridgeshire, UK

Its time to hit back at the madness being considered here. Surely they have worked out that driving a car in a lower gear increases the CO2 output - uses more fuel and at £5 a gallon and rising is likely to add a huge amount to the already high running costs of a car. Road signs yes, 20mp limit, No

Mike James, London, UK

Why is it the motorists have to be responsible for stupid pedestrians not looking out for cars. Book motorists for driving dangerously not just speeding. Speed limits are not targets but maximimum speed. What next a man with a red flag walking out in front of the very scary horseless carriage.

Duncan, Semaphore, South Australia

Has anybody calculated the additional CO2 that this will create and the impact on climate change. This impact could cause the deaths of many more people than the lower speed limit MAY save.

Dr G M Lofthouse, Middlesbrough, UK

I'm gobsmacked by many comments on here. I drive a car and I cycle and I walk, but I am not of the opinion that I have some divine right to drive my car everywhere I want and as fast as I want. We need to inspire a culture of consideration and safety for all road users ALL of the time, grow up!

Jenny, Bristol,

I use to be a very fast driver I have reformed.
<br/>
<br/>If it save one child life these regulations are good, it may be a relative of you the speeding motorist.
<br/>
<br/>This is one of a few posts in this thread

Mike, Leicester,

Typical of this government's policy of being SEEN to be doing something regardless of whether it has any proven basis in research. I'd like to know how many people injured in road accidents would survive if only they didn't catch MRSA or fall victim to medical incompetence.

Bev, Bucks, UK

This Governments anti car policies have gone to far as it is. a Prime Minister that doesn't drive would never be elected and should never have got in. the sooner we have an election and can get rid of him, the better.

Neil Warrington, woking,

we might as well walk. Pretty soon we'll be finding ourselves living in the early 1900s whenthe speed limits were around 10mph. Haven't we not progressed.

joe, london,

Next time round I will be voting - conservative.

Alex, Bristol,

The speed sensitive flashing signs don't work. There's one on the 30mph road I live on and drivers trigger it at 35mph and above. Nobody slows down, because they know there's no camera or other enforcement measure. I wish it was a speed camera, then we could feel a bit safer for our kids.

Phil, Bishopthorpe, UK

So are they saying that it's safer to hit pedestrian's at 20mph because they'll probably get away with broken bones.

joe, london,

If a person drives above the speed limit, an accident can occur which could result in death. These abusers should be dealt with harshly. In some cases, banned for life. If these measures were in place we would see a huge drop in road carnage.

brian keating, agde, france

Speed does not kill in its self, to reduce the speed limits to 20 mph is ridiculous. The majority if drivers do slow down when approaching a hazard and speed is still the least cause of all accidents. What is needed is the reintroductiuon of the green cross code. Just an excuse to raise taxes again

tim sayer, Bristol, England

this is just about headlines and getting more money for the government and the company that make the cameras.
we keep being told that speed cameras are there to save lives but the death rate stays the same, so again it shows its all about money

keith hughes, kenilworth,

Anyone with half a brain cell knows this is really geared to generate alternate revenue for government coffers.Stats are always doctored to justify government action.You want real killers?"obesity,alcohol,tobacco".Then again more people drive so the choice of stealth tax is pretty obvious.

Anthony, London, England

Has no one thought that a better option may be to ensure drivers take an advanced awareness course as used by police drivers and more education for pedestrians and cyclists; it’s two sided. Motorists can't be blamed for idiot parents and people stepping into the road with phones stuck to their ear

alan, Cardiff, Wales

The figures quoted by the minister give the impression that all road deaths take place in residential areas. Clearly they don't so how can they cut road deaths on Motorways or country roads by sighting Specs cameras in Urban areas?

Sean Corker, Manchester,

"Cameras that detect a vehicle’s average speed will be used instead of road humps to enforce the limit in some of the new 20mph zones." What about cameras that detect idiots stepping into the road with a phone glued to their ear??????

alan, Cardiff, Wales

Lets just ban kids from going to school and leave them at home wrapped in cotton wool in a cupboard until they reach 18 years old. Education is, as ever, the key. Bring back the Green Cross Code Man.

Phil Mann, newcastle upon tyne,

my suggestion: tax the muppets that walk/cycle onto the road without looking. There isn't a day that I dont see at least 3 cyclists pedal through a red light or 5 pedestrians walk onto the road totally oblivious to anything except their phone. And dont get me started on cyclists on the pavement!

G, Lemming Central, Glasgow

20mph zones do not need signing for speed humps (cost saving) and are not enforceable by police, the urban speed limit is 30mph, it is up to the council to take you to a civil court. They are a waste of time, looks like a revenue maker.

M J , London, UK

A few years ago I spent a lot of time trying to find some consistent causal patterns in 13 years of official government Road Traffic Accident data. None to be found in my view. Of 'child' pedestrians killed most were young teens - there were not many in term and likely not very near schools either.

Grant, Manchester,

I note the government is relying on drink driving to push its case once again. Odd then that they removed the 'failed a breath test' marker from the anonymized data held in the official RTA data files. Data Protection Act apparently. More likely an inconveniently low causation association.

Grant, Manchester,

How about the poor old motorist rise in fuel use going at 20 mile per hour, extra maintenance costs on engine wear, and additional pollution, all from engines not working properly. I have a job doing less than 30 in my car with no acceleration.
Its madness, improve roads and crossings and teaching.

Eric, Hastings, UK

20mph is not too bad if we could rid our roads of back-breaking speed humps.

The limit should only be set during times of high pedestrian traffic - although I'm sure most councils will willingly impose a fine when you're caught at 25mph at 3am!

Les Ellis, High Wycombe,

I have twice recently been overtaken while driving at 30mph on suburban streets in greater London. Driving standards are in such decline (the use of indicators appears to have become optional) that unless there is greater/more effective enforcement I can only see that 3,000 deaths figure going up.

NS, London, England

If you get run over by a car – you’re most probably in the road not looking

It can’t be put any simpler that that

The Highway Code is enforced on motorists yet there is nothing for pedestrians

Let’s think about that…

jeff, Bracknell, UK

Is it just me or do some people not understand the concept of taxation?

The money paid for speeding is a "Fine", a censure for failing to abide by the rules not taxation

By this warped concept - if e fine someone for drunken antisocial behavior - is it a "stealth tax" on alcohol?

Get real!

David, Portsmouth, Hants

Using the Govt's own figures, showing speed to be a cause of less than 10% of fatal accidents, you don't have to be Carol Vorderman to work out that a 33% reduction in fatalities by 2020 is not going going to happen.

Weak policy of a weak government intent on criminalising everyone!

Bye Gordon

George, Gillingham, UK

I RUN, I CYCLE and I DRIVE, Hopefully all three carefully and with full attention to whats going on around me.
20 miles an hour around schools is sensible as the roads are crowded with mums in cars at this time of day.
But why do we have dials reaching 140mph if we can never reach these speeds.

MNKB, bucks, uk

Theo in Somerset: "Surely 3000 deaths a year is a good result?" And I'm sure you'd say the same if one of those eight people per day was a member of your family, eh? Nothing should get in the way of drivers' right to speed, after all, certainly nothing as trivial as other human beings' lives.

Ruth , Glasgow , Scotland

If speed is the problem why are the motorways the safest roads. More police less cameras .

Marc Bearman, Worcester, England

For heavens sakes we must be living in a communist country. Certainly better engineered roads would make a bigger improvement to road safety than a lower speed limit. Just annother way of getting people out of their cars!

Leo, Exeter, UK

Of course if we really want to reduce speeding in residential areas we should force drivers to take off their seat belts and drive with a 7" blade pointing out of the steering wheel.

Dave, Shrewsbury, UK

It's got to the stage where I don't want to live in this nasty little country anymore, it used to be a free country with only a few significant rules that everyone understood and respected.

Now, it's a collection of bitter little nobodies jumping on any band wagon in their war on everyone else.

Vince, Folkestone, The Former United Kingdom

Most accidents are caused by pedestrians who are either drunk or who don't look where they are going. However variable 20mph limits outside schools are an excellent idea.
Isn't a damning that the minister admits we have slipped fro 1 to 4 in terms of road safety - too many revenue raising cameras?

Mike, Middlesbrough,

Don't these anti-pedestrian whingers ever leave their cars? And why are so many in such a hurry they can't accept a 20 mph limit? It's time we relegated cars to the lowest priority and put people top. Average-speed cameras are a good idea - road humps on bus routes should be the first to go.

Barry, Wallington, UK

Nothing wrong with 20mph in limited areas, but how do you stop the tail-gating idiots? They are a menace to anyone observing speed limits.

Colin, shrewsbury,

I agree with what Sweden seems in the article to reject: that because drivers are only human means that some accidents are bound to happen. There is a stage where further accidents are simply unavoidable. The government needs to acknowledge accidents as a cause of deaths, where no-one is at fault.

Nick Burns, Nottingham,

People who have to continually check a speedometer to make sure their speed hasn't strayed upwards from last time they checked shouldn't be allowed to drive. The rest of us manage to stick to any speed limit without much fuss.

Jamie, Gtr Manchester, UK

I was stuck behind a painfully slow driver yesterday - 10mph below the limit on a dry, straight road. I wish people who can't drive would get off the roads - and stop making excuses that everyone else is going too fast.

tony, rochester, UK

Until the government releases statistics of exactly how many accidents are caused directly, 100% by speed (rather other causes, or a collision worsened by speed), I will not entertain anything this government says on road accidents.

And tell us what is being done about all the other causes.

Laura Roberts, London, UK

Most deaths are on A- roads with a 60 limit. What would save lives here are wider central reservations and better controls on alcohol which could cut road deaths by 25%
Pedestrian segregation could save another eighth in the 30-zones, but the real killers are inattention, tiredness & impatience.

John Le Geyt, Maidstone,

Typical singleminded approach to a problem with many causes.Inappropriate speed by drivers may carry heightened dangers, but inappropriate road use by ALL ROAD USERS can be more dangerous.In the last week I have seen several pedestrians and cyclists almost hit and it was never the car drivers fault!

David Watson, Leeds, UK

make hybrid propulsion compulsory for automanufacturers, with the electric engine covering the speeds up to 50mph. Reduce the speed within inner cities/towns to "whatever", but drastically increase penalties for dangerous driving. CO2, noise , & hopefully accidents reduced..but thats too simple!

t.andre, london,

F1 cars have swtches which they operate to put automatic limits on the speed of their cars in the pitts. Can we have those? Low speeds are polluting; speed bumps are car destroyers; too much street furniture is distractiong; make trunk roads faster safer, faster, fewer junctions would help.

Malcolm Turner, Alsager, England

Dr Beeching, it's all your fault. If you hadn't ripped up all those rail lines we'd be able to go everywhere by train and leave the roads free for white vans and intercontinental prime movers, the rightful users at whatever speed they would like to go.

Mike, Sydney, Australia

Good idea but with current technology not properly enforceable.
We should all have GPS systems that limit the top speed of our cars - the technology is already there and would be simple to implement (this wouldn't mean we're all tracked)
Only problem is no more fines = broke Treasury!

Rish, Wembley,

How about a speed limit on pedestrians? Instead of a number plate a personal number could be tattoed on everyone's forehead for easy identification and prosecution if and when necessary. Surely this is a more sensible approach, as would provide the average motorist with increased time to react.

Pauline, Maidenhead, UK

I drive at 20mph in a 20 zone (past a local school) and usually get several cars crossing to the opposite lane to overtake me. In my opinion, driving at 20mph diverts too much of the driver's attention to the speedometer. I'd prefer to use all my concentration watching out for children.

Simon Aiken, M.I.A.M., Mold, Flintshire

I think that this is yet another piece of stupid useless legislation from a 'fascist' government that doesan't know when to stop intefering in our lives. Anyway it is just another tax! Better to properly punish those that commit these crimes than to punish all of us. Stop treating us like children

m huntington, plymouth,

Oh look, yet another way of increasing the CO2 levels. According to the AA we pollute less driving at 30mph and I though the government wanted to bring our emissions down?

Bring back the Green Cross Code and the Tuft Club, maybe then people will learn to cross the road safely again.

Lynne, Cwmbran,

I've driven past a few country schools with this speed limit and I'm completely in support of it. Nobody should be driving past a school at 30mph when there are children around. It's a pity that some motorists value their freedom to nip round town above the safety of children going to school.

Donna, Middlesex,

We wondered how the 2.7 Billion tax fiddle/bribe for crewe and nantwich was going to be funded ..didn't take long to find out, did it.

George Jetson, Boston, U.K.

Sounds like a panicking government pandering to it's core anti car labour supporters in Crewe and Nantwich to me.

A.Pittman, Bristol, UK

Not surprised by the proposal - but am surprised by the anti-car hezbollah ranting about cars. Think I like paying £1.40 a litre? I drive because I HAVE TOO!
As for banning cars around schools - thats just a paedophiles charter.
Rant over I can't wait to read Clarkson on Sunday.......

James, Glasgow,

I think you could guarantee that anyone who has actually run down & killed someone in a residential street wishes he or she had been driving a little slower.

Ken Whysall, Hemel Hempstead,

With all the speed enforcement in place drivers are spending more time looking at their speedo so they don't get caught going 2mph over. If we concentrated less on speed perhaps drivers could get back to concentrating on driving, then we wouldn't run the risk of hitting people so much.

Lynne, Cwmbran,

Surely 3000 deaths a year is a good result?

I'm sick of innumerate control freaks chasing diminishing returns at an increasingly exorbitant cost to the other 60 million inhabitants of the UK.

When do they stop - when more licence-losing people are topping themselves than are killed on the roads?

Theo, Somerset, UK

Memo to politicians; the councillor most associated with the introduction of the 20 MPH limit in Portsmouth lost his seat in the recent elections.

This could just be a coincidence!

Richard, Portsmouth, UK

No driver wants to kill or injure pedestrians: we are all pedestrians ourselves, and most of us are parents.
But most of us also know that this is just an excuse for another revenue-raising scam, with 20mph limits in silly places and scameras hiding behind signposts.

Mop up diesel spills instead!

Tim Bartlett, Upwell, UK

Ed Lower in Birmingham,

You may not have noticed, but we already do pay a premium do drive faster, more thirsty cars.

It comes in the form of VAT when we buy the car, fuel duty when we drive it around, and tax on the increased premiums on the insurance policy we have to buy every year.

Dan, Cambridge, UK

Every time adriver well over the drink drive limit causes an accident there is a knee jerk reaction calling for a lower limit. Where is the evidence that such drivers will obey the new limit or that drivers just below the current limit are causing accidents?

Mike Tyler, Bedfordshire,

I don't know about any of you, but it makes me wonder just how many drivers voted against Labour councils the other week, simply because of unecessary speeding fines.

If you keep criminalising everyone Mr Brown, you'll put your party in 3rd place behind a Liberal Opposition party in 2010.

Nigel Warren, Portsmouth,

It's fairly obvious that driving a motorcar is so dangerous, obnoxious, planet destroying and anti-social that we ought to charge anyone who owns a car atleast £100,000 per year to drive one.

We could also implement a system whereby anyone who drives one had a man with a red flag walking infront.

Russ, Reading , UK

Rather than Big brother watching us i would rather we had Police driving around and arresting those crackheads who tailgate anyone who drives at the legal speed limit .

Joe, Birmingham, England

I do not consider myself to be a "Green" but I am surprised that my previous comments seem to be the only ones mentioning the environmental impact of excessive speed. The trouble with statistics is that no matter how bad they also prove that most drivers will never be involved in a deadly accident.

John Curtis, Swanage, England

3,000 deaths a year.
Irrespective of whether the fault is the pedestrians or the drivers, you're more likely to survive with a 20mph collision.

garry, Rotherham, uk

The cameras must be implemented as a matter of priority as my experience of 20mph zones is that drivers treat them as standard 30mph zones.

john, milton keynes, uk

Another win for the left wing loony cycle riding, save the world, anti car, health and safety obsessed tree huggers.
Driving is NOT safe, neither is EATING, WORKING, or HAVING SEX.They all carry a risk of dying. Life is full of risks, get over it.

Joe, Bristol, england

Wouldn't it be better if they simply got teachers to teach kids how to cross the road?

Could this government try any harder to take the fun and enjoyment out of the general populations lives - higher bills, higher taxes, congestion charges, and now ridiculous speed limits!!

Rob, Carlisle, England

3000 people die a year! All due to speeding, the pedestrian is always innocent. PACT's is a quango and I resent the tax payers money being wasted by the unaccountable bodies. Do you remember a 3rd of all accidents lie? This is just another, don't vote Labour if you value your car and livelihood.

steve tea, manchester, cheshire

If 3,000 people a year were killed by anything else it would be banned. Imagine that many casualties from acts of terrorism; we need a war on dangerous driving rather than a war on terror.

Martin Green, Shepton Mallet, UK

I am pleased to read that the DfT are looking for alternatives to the speed hump for tackling road deaths in urban areas.
Another step in the right direct would be to go metric with speed limits. 5 km/h is a smaller interval than 5 mph and would give more choices for the actual limits

Philip S Hall, Northampton, England

There is no point in introducing new regulations if, as in this neighbouthood, the existing ones are not enforced.!!!!

H. Gutfreund, Upton, Oxford

...and lowering the drink drive limit to near zero is another penalty for the rural community and rural pubs

Richard, Newton Abbot,

Glad I do not live there anymore. Cannot afford it with all the taxes and fines for going 1 mph over a limit. But I do notice that a lot of Brit visitors do speed here especially around residential areas as they must think 50 kph means 50 mph.

B J Deller, Marbella, Spain

"More than 100 million journeys a week in the Uk but 3000 deaths per year. That's amazing!"

I find it amazing that any number of unnecessary deaths is thought to be acceptable.
A reduction in speed means a better chance of survival for vulnerable road users.

dexey, Birmingham, England

Christopher Hale, Berlin. Road deaths in Germany - 6.5 per 100,000 people. Road deaths in UK - 5.5 per 100,000. Stay where you are and let us get on with our safer roads over here.

David Leslie, Perth, Scotland

Anyone who thinks a higher speed limit is appropriate should be run over at that speed.

Ian, Gloucester,

Worried about MRSA infections? Help keep people out of hospital - don't run them over!

Diana, derby, uk

I agree with a lower speed limit past schools and through residential areas. But elsewhere in Europe you can get from A to B quickly and efficiently on a main, high-speed road, that doesn't require you to drive through endless little towns and villages. We need decent A roads bypassing houses.

Lynne, Ashford,

If there is a headline grabbing easy option then you can guarantee that a politician will grab it. Given the number of people who use the roads the death rate is entirely reasonable and the risk As Low as Reasonably Practicable. Spend the money on promoting good health. Save more lives that way.

David, Highworth, England

Jayne, Doncaster, do you own a car? do you not think our wallets are not already wide open to the government? As the most watched nation in the world, do you not think that perhaps the time has come to invest in something other than just watching crime happen and fining everyone for the privelege?

David, Bournemouth, UK

Shows where the Governments priorities are. Spending millions on more cameras to cut road deaths over the next twelve years by 1000 but basic hygene in hospitals which claim 6500 lives per year through MRSA aren't worthy.

Gavin, Germany,

20mph humps, signs, etc are useless, all they do is make drivers either zombies or ready to challenge them. Try the really effective Dutch way, as elegantly designed by traffic engineer Hans Mondermann. Of course, the current rough Brits may not be as socialised as the Dutch...

helen, Norwich,

Same old ideas, blame everything on speed, reduce the limit and collect the cash. The last 6 years of cameras have done bothing to reduce deaths on the road.

Bob Bull, Bristol, Somerset

Stop dangerous drivers - yes. But please please please educate children on how dangerous roads are, the amount who just run accross the road is crazy.

Paul, isle of wight, uk

Tests have proved driving at 20mph dramatically increases CO2 levels over driving at 30mph. Modern cars are simply not designed to drive so slowly.

Paul, isle of wight, uk

Question to the government:

How many accidents are caused by the action of speed? Just by speed, which is all some of these measures target?

And how many caused by:

1. Pedestrians walking in front of cars
2. Dangerous driving (too close, wrong lane, don't look...)
3. Bus drivers

Laura Roberts, London, UK

I feel the only thing that makes motorist obay the law is the Speed Camera.....perhaps these camera's should be on every road. Hit the speeding motorist where it hurts the most...the wallet.
Jayne, Doncaster

Jayne , Doncaster, England

Another cash cow for the government. Let's just park our cars and go back to the horses.

Hamad Lone, London, England

WARNING TO PEDESTRIANS:

Drivers will not see you in the road as they will be looking at their speedos. It is YOUR responsibility to ensure your safety.

Phil, Warrington, England UK

can't we just ban cars altogether from roads around schools at key times of the day and establish drop of points. kids get more exercise and deaths from rta fall and obesity rates fall. as for the traffic violators, take their licences away. A few years of this will solve the problem

Jack Tar, Shanghai,

Next stop: back to the man walking in front of the car with a red flag.
BTW the death toll from suicides is greater but offers no revenue for politicians = no interest and no radars. We either have everything on the table or we continue sweeping under the carpet whatever won't offer more cash, eh?

Michael Martin-Morgan, Rosal, Spain

More and more traffic legislation is all very well, but how about providing the Police to enforce it?

Neil, Gloucestershire, England

I support the government - there you go!

Slow the selfish down - and make it too expensive to drive faster more thirsty cars - because nothing but nothing matters to these people more than money.

Ed Lower, Birmingham,

In order to cut deaths around so called vunerable areas such as schools, you should ban all parking around schools to 1/2 mile, any parent seen dropping off kids should be fined. Kids get killed outside schools not just because of the driver, but because of the double parking outside schools.

Martin L, macclesfield,

Do many of you commenting upon this article live or work in anything other than a city? In Germany there are no limits on many motorways, European limits are generally 130 kph, and there is a heightened sense of responsibility, freedom and respect for other road users. 20 is ok where required.

chriski, manchester, UK

So we sue car makers for producing cars that go more than 20mph, do we also sue pubs for letting us drink more than the legal limit ? Perhaps we could also sue banks for giving us an overdraft ? How about we all act like adults and take responsibility for our actions ?

Daniel, margate, kent

There's been a proliferation of studies proving that it's not speed that does the killing... it's poor road conditions, poorly trained drivers and inadequate warning and lighting facilities.
It sounds like a cheap trick to reap more revenue to fix these problems without actually taxing; be honest!

D Griffing, Naples, Long Beach

"Imagine you're a little absent minded, you don't look or take in what you see when crossing the road - Well perhaps you should have paid a little more attention before steeping out into the road ? The onus is also on the pedestrian too, do they not teach the green cross code anymore ?

Daniel, margate, kent

In theory if every motorist obeyed the highway code and took responsibility, no matter how stupid pedestrians are there would be no road deaths. If you want to push 1 tonne of metal around the road at 30mph then take responsibility - don't try and palm it off on someone pushing 80kg around at 4mph.

Keith Gregory, Chester, Cheshire

God I hate "motorists". Forever squealing about there being a "war on the motorist". Well lets hope there is. For years people have had to put up with the deaths, injuries, poisonous gas, obesity, noise, dirt, stolen space and now global warming and oil wars. Lets declare a war on the motorist.

dave, London,

Ever more Big Brother and revenue raising under the guise of a worthy agenda.

Verity, Harrogate, England

It's all big stick against the car driver isn't it. What about all those un-trained pedestrians? Where are the road safety campaigns in schools, on TV, sent to mobile phones? But then of course, how silly of me, that would all cost the Government money wouldn't it!

Simon Wilson, Farnborough,

And all this rubbish about pedestrians needing to take more care. A child running into your precious road doesn't deserve the death penalty for making a mistake. Yet that's what some of these posters would have for the sake of driving to the corner shop a few seconds quicker. Absolutely charming.

dave, London,

20mph speed limit here we go again, nanny state, more revenue under the guise of safety. Other countries have a better safety record because they have built better roads. UK motorists are the highest taxed in Europe with the worst, most crowded roads in Europe. At 0 mph we would have no deaths.

Julian Ferguson, Reading, UK

Modern vehicles are geared to run in 4th gear at 30 mph for optimum co2 emissions.
To drive at 20mph (in 2nd or 3rd gar) will, probably, double co2 emissions.It will, of course, also require more fuel which, in turn, means more duty and tax for Gordon.

Nice one Gordon.

Phil, Warrington, England UK

It's the I'am alright jack attitude in Britain it is not only Drivers, Cyclists, pedestrians, drinkers yobs, football hooligans. Nobody cares about anybody else.
Surely the Mayor Boris Johnson and David Cameron on their bikes, should also obey the law. It is always easy to blame the motorist.

Mike, Cyprus,

The article dismays me but the majority response dismays me much more. The venom & hypocrisy is scary. Do most people think the annual casualties, including "photogenic" kids, not too high and a price worth paying for the "freedom" to rush around? Or is it always going to be someone else to blame?

Graham, Havant, uk

The speed itself is not the problem. Driving at 30mph should be a slow enough speed to react for anyone that, to be honest, should be driving. Efforts should be made into noting the differences between driving at a pace, which makes progress and poses no threat - and careless, reckless driving!

Carl Jones, Aberystwyth, Wales

95% of RTA's have driver error as a factor. Law-breaking on the roads is rife, these measure will remove the anti-social speeding drivers from our roads, encourage walking and cycling with a commensurate boost to health and make neighbourhoods far more pleasant.

Susan Porter, London,

And more importantly just think of the tax that the cameras will raise! You can bet that the 20mph limits will be in some very odd and unecessary places in an effort to raise money for the lunatics in charge of the asylum.

John Ralph, Worcester, England

The brake and stopping power has nothing to do with it. Cars may have advanced - but human beings have not advanced sufficiently to have increased their reaction times.

Roger, Lewes,

In Germany you will find urban limits down to 20 kph but set with common sense. Here you can find roads with 30mph limits that are safer than those set at 40mph, then you turn into a narrow side street suitable for only 15mph where 20mph is dangerous. This new 20mph is just another gimmick.

Ramsey Martin, Gosport,

Most idea's are good in theory, in practice they are rarely implemented well. Currently the only 20mph in my area is past a councillors house, which would probably be perfectly safe to do 40mph.... Build the roads we need to get to work, then the current ones wont be so congested!

Jamie, Maidstone, England

Well to be honest, I'm always shocked when I see the figures. 3,000 people are killed on the roads each year. Imagine you're a little absent minded, you don't look or take in what you see when crossing the road for a split second and BANG you're dead. I'm guessing 20mph isn't too high a price.

Dr Robin Laundon, London, UK

Why the hell are car manufacturers making cars that go over 70mph when it is illegal to go over 70mph in this country – surely we can sue the car manufacturers for providing vehicles that are way over equipped for the speeds we need.

B. Too many cars on the road – this is the problem

jeff, Bracknell, UK

Why don't we just return to a man with a red flag in front of every car. Just see how this will reduce unemployment. The brakes and stopping power of modern cars is such that they can stop in less distance from 30mph than they could when the 30mph limit was introduced so no need to reduce the limit.

Roger Parkes, Tunbridge Wells, England

Pedestrians are mostly to blame:

1) They don't look
2) They corss motorway sliproads
3) They think that a zebra crossing means you can just walk out and motorists have to do an emergency stop.

Need I go on?

Kris, Bristol,

I would like to see the 20mph enforced in villages as well as towns.

Alice, Cambridgeshire,

Can we please see the statistics indicating the number of pedestrian and other deaths in 30mph zones where the fault was entirely attributed to the drivers' behaviour? How do we penalise those outside the vehicles for their reckless behaviour causing accidents? This is not just about drivers.

Mike Eccles, Middlesbrough, UK

I was drinving into a local village yesterday and a boy of about 10 just ran straight out into the road with a football. Had it been a second or two later, I would have hit him - drivers aren't always to blame!

Mike Kingscott, Breaston, UK

Any govt that brings this in has gone a long way to getting my vote. Too many drivers now get in the car and immediately hit autopilot. Maybe some level of enforcement will start people actually thinking about their driving and the environment infront of and around them.

Garry, Rotherham, UK

Vigorous enforcement is the bottom line! In central London, car, van & lorry drivers, motorcyclists & bicyclists blatantly ignore speed limits & violate traffic rules such as deliberately using a clearly marked traffic lane that is freer and, at the last min deliberately swing out to the other lane

Shalini Gupta, London,

I can't say I can break 20mph due to all the massive 4x4s reversing out infront of me/into kids as it is now anyway...

...quite supprised labour hasn't told us what gear we should be cruising in while doing that speed and 1 camera for each car down the road; seems quite a relaxed for their policies

tom, lancs,

I think a 20mph speed limit in residential streets is a good thing. However, as a nation we appear stuck on stand-alone technology for enforcement - speed cameras are seen more as a revenue generator than a safety device. What happened to the good old bobby and commonsense?

matthew, london,

How about some education for pedestrians, so that they look where the're going and don't suddenly walk into the road? Why are so many speed cameras on motorways, when most deaths are in built up areas? Who pays for the increased polution and noise?

David Leslie, Perth, Scotland

Area wide 20mph serves many good purposes. If every residential street i.e. non-arterial route has a 20mph limit on it then that is what drivers get used to. Streets are the main public open spaces that we have and should not be just traffic corridors. 20mph = more active lifestyles incl. cycling.

David Holman, Wolverhampton, UK

The standard of decency is the problem these days and no amount of legislating at the sharp end (i.e. drivers) will work. More police presence is needed on the street - end of. People stop for authority not for cameras with sad or smiley faces.
Get real.

Clive , Rushden, Northants

There should be areas completely banned to 4WD - especially around schools. These are totally inappropriate in all areas except rural.

Scott, London,

I see the Governmnet are wanting more revenue from embattled motorists.
I think before any more laws are brought in regarding speeding, cars should have to be fitted with 'head up speedo's as too much looking at the speedo can actually be more dangerous than the spped of the vehicle.

Sid Jacques, Durham,

Very sensible--provided it can be enforced, particularly at night in zones where there is a 24 hr ruling.
For those who insist that this is too slow--remember that the average speed in many urban areas-particularly central london ,is not not likley to exceed 11mph anyway!

william grierson, Kimpton, UK

Having lived in the US a 20mph is normal in certain areas and a 5mph limit in school zones with a double fine if you speed in the school zones. It works! Why on earth aren't manufacturers forced to limit vehicles to the national speed limit or is this to much like common sense!!

neil, almere, holland

"Research from the DfTt indicates ....a 1mph cut in average vehicle speed reduces crash frequency by about 5 per cent."

Apart from being self evident nonsense, this statement has been discredited, disproved and disowned on many occasions. Worrying to see the Road Safety Minister still using it

Eric Bridgstock, St Albans, Herts

Cars are not designed to run efficiently at 20 mph, you'll never get out of second gear. But maybe that's the idea, emissions will poison the pedestrians.

Mullarkian, York,

"The target, to be reached by 2020, is expected to be set at about 2,000 deaths.".........Eh??? Surely the target should be ZERO deaths.

Rumbold, High Wycombe, England

1. 8% of pedestrians killed are on the pavement at the time of the accident.
2. Advanced speed management technology will enable speeds to be varied according to conditions
3. 20mph zones do not increase fuel use: they lead to a reduction as more people feel that is safe to walk and cycle

Robert Huxford, London,

How about proper enforcement of the limits we already have before introducing more. I live on a road in South Devon with a 30mph speed limit. Drivers consistently exceed this, particularly at night, by up to 100%. As usual, the police are completely ineffective, in fact non-existent is truer.

David, Totnes, UK

Every small town and village should campaign to have a 20 mph through their streets. Hampshire is way ahead of the game. I live in a village in Surrey and we have been campaining to have a 20 MPH through our village for ages. Why does it take so long to get action.

Valerie White, Bagshot, Surrey, England

Can we please begin to teach children and irresponsible adults to look both ways twice before crossing roads? Or I guess if drivers can hit more people while driving at 20 it would send the message to look both ways.
Bring on the broken bones! Cars 1 point pedestrian 0 points

Tony Brown, London, Londin

Give this latest round of measures 6 to 12 months and congestion will not be an issue and C02 emissions will be reduced considerably mainly because the courts will have banned everyone from driving.

david whittle, Shrewsbury, Shropshire

A car doing average yearly mileage will dump one more tonne of CO2 into the atmosphere when restricted to 20mph. So much for green policies. Especially when,as here in Swansea, we are getting 20 zones on rural roads with no houses,schools,hospitals etc alongside them.

Just another tax raiser.....

keith ryder, swansea,

I contacted Bromley / Beckenham police station to tell them that I regularly see drivers jumping red lights at a pelican crossing used by school kids.
I suggested they install a camera or at least some police presence to deter this.
Their response? Not enough resource and no one injured yet.

Martin Wingate, Beckenham, England

Ban pedestrians from roads! We must put more legislation in! We must save all the pedestrians from themselves. We should impose a fine on a pedestrian caught near a vehicle that is moving!
Safety of padestrians is paramount!
We wil save the EVERYONE
p.s. we need to ban deers from motorways to

Tony Brown, London, Londin

ABout time there is an improvement on the horizon...Ive talked to my local council on many occasions for a speed enforcement outside our daughters' school in Sandhurst Eagle House, but to no avail. It is supposed to be a 30 and 40 mph limit, but clearly, the limit boundary position is confusing!

vevers, sandhurst, UK

The road through our village has a speed limit of 30mph, yet cars still speed through it. Crossing for the bus is dangerous at points. 20mph would be welcomed here.
However, I once drove through a 5mph school zone - prompting us all to remark: "Beware: slow, obese children!" Kids have to learn!

Paul Stape, Blackpool, UK

laws & more laws, typical of this government. how about enforcing existing laws properly with traffic police for a start. cameras and speed limits do nothing to combat bad driving and rage incidents. this is just another easy option whilst also being a nice little revenue generator.

john, lincoln,

It is easy to say the motorists are being hit, but why should anyone get away with flouting the law?

Why would any motorist following the highway code be penalised? They won't. So where is the problem?

Btw - I'm a motorist. And I love driving..

Tom, Beckenham,

Perhaps the nay-sayers would have a more mature and positive attitude if they had ever been hit by a one tonne moron travelling at 25 mph.

David, Cheshire,

Whilst going though these 20mph zones do you think that a motorist are going to be paying attention to the road & whats happening on that of the speedo?

Whilst bad drivers need to be better, that does not mean that the majority fall in to this catorgory! Pedestrians need to be accountable too!

Georgina, Birmingham,

What happens if they don't reach the target of 2000 deaths? Will there be a loony squad, tearing about the roads to knock-off a few more?

Martybn Davies, ARZAL, France

There are already stiff penalties for stupid/ inconsiderate pedrestrians. Fractured skulls, broken legs, internal injuries, even death! Unfortunately these are indisciminate penalties given out also when the motorist is stupid/ inconsiderate. Drivers need to take responsibility - I try to

Diana, derby, uk

I have a totally mad but easy way of showing the government that it's policies are total nonsense. Why don't all the motorests use public transport for 1 day. This will bring the whole country to a grinding halt, and collaspe the PT system, we willl just be doing what the government want.

Matt H, westbury, UK

Whilst people argue safety statistics there is no denying the environmental impact of excessive speed. Not just Global effects but locally where niose, vibration, fumes, direct damage to buildings and psycological problems for people living near roads should be taken into account.

John Curtis, Swanage, England

Cameras, accessible to all the Little Hitlers employed by your local council, on every street corner, watching you come and go by car, bike or on foot, wherever you go, whenever you go, day and night, forever?

Mike, Brighton, England

I guess Dave West from Croydon is one of these people who think the road belongs exclusively to him. I've seen two cyclists killed right in front of my eyes thanks to this attitude. Yesterday a little girl was knocked down by a jeep type car just off London's Edgware Road. It was going too fast.

Steve, London,

Everyone must meet up for the rally on june the 2nd to protest the unelected pm and also the governments fuel tax theft and other stalinist laws such as this 20mph speed limit.

Monday july the second at 10.30am in front of westminster.

John, Bristol, United Kingdom

Cyclists are held up as poor road users. Firstly, do you know whether your council supports cycling proficiency in local schools? Demand it! Then there is the fact that cyclists hurt other road users less, but are themselves vulnerable. This does affect how they cycle.

Diana, derby, uk

Very few people are run over whilst standing on the pavement or crossing the road safely.

Obviously tackle nutters flying about dangerously through towns but bring back the Green Cross Code man.

He was on the radio recently almost in tears because his good work has been squandered.

Andy Daines, Bracknell, UK

Since the government started the speed kills policy and enforced road safety by legislation aimed at driver behaviour, our safety record has declined rapidly. We now kill around a thousand people a year more than the long term trend would suggest up to 1993. This is the wrong policy for safer roads.

Peter Roberts - Drivers' Alliance, Telford, UK

Changes to our road have made it a rat run and we constantly have 50+mph going past our door, even though we have a primary school across the road. After loosing 2 cats on the road, complaints to the police and council were met with "until a child is killed or hurt theres nothing we can do".

Claire, Oswestry,

Given that the Government's own figures say that a tiny fraction of accidents (<5%) are caused primarily by excessive speed, how can they hope to reduce accidents by a third by cutting speed limits?

Johnny, Wimborne,

Amazing how so many of your respondents regard 3000 other peoples deaths as a price worth paying for their impatience, and the rights of the motorist paramount over pedestrians and cyclists. Or maybe not so surprising in lout Britain.

Kevin, Leeds,

Right - so when 1 person dies on the railways we think it's the end of the world but everyone here seems to feel that it is acceptable for over 3,000 people to die on the roads and thousands more to be seriously injured? 18.5 mph is the normal speed limit in hundreds of towns across Europe.

Chris, London, United Kingdom

Speed limits would command more respect if they related to conditions. 30mph (or even 20mph) is fine during a period when a lot of pedestrians are about, but breeds contempt when when no one is about. What we need are signs that can be programmed to vary. Must be possible in this information age!

Paul, Lincoln, UK

People die if they run in front of a car. Slowing cars down to walking pace is the response of the terminally stupid. Punishing 30 million drivers because pedestrians are careless is not road safety. Teach them to cross busy roads from an early age and enforce the 30 limit.

David Thijm, Stourbridge, UK

I assume all the people hating this have never actually been knocked down themselves. Trust me, it hurts a lot more than a "small cut or bruise". In one of my friend's family, both of the brothers got knocked down due to speeding maniacs but luckily they survived. Reduce your speed, have some care!!

Kevin Rogers, Preston, United Kingdom

Unbelievable. The Government sets a target to try and save 1000 lives a year and motorists immediately start bleating about inconvenience. I am a motorist myself, I just haven't lost sight of the fact that a car can be a lethal weapon. If you don't want to pay a fine, stick to the rules. Simple.

Sophie, Liverpool,

I would like to be able to reach 20mph when children are being droppedoff or picked up from school! It also leads to the most inconsiderate parking witnessed. But these are different isuues.

I agree with the proposal

Nick Fribbens, Walton on Thames, England

20 miles an hour pull the other one, or has teh goverment accepted that labour will never be elected agin in this country, cos they just lost my vote, not that it matters liverpool is so poor that on firday and saterday nights as long as you dont do it in the city center you can do anything you want

MR W Jones, Liverpool, England

Twenty's plenty - then cycling becomes more attractive & safer than it is now.

Peter, Bournemouth, UK

I'm actually all for 20mph limits outside schools and in busy urban areas but just as long as they revert back to 30 or 40mph from 7pm-7am. Variable speed limits should be the way ahead everywhere because it's common sense that the same road has different safe speeds depending on the time of day.

Tom Haake, Harrogate, england

Driving in third gear will no doubt put all drivers in good moods and promote cameraderie on the roads. It will surely reduce the amount of time a journey takes and the reduce the CO2 emitted.The local kids will enjoy the opportunity to run safely between moving cars now. Lets be proud to be slow.

Lionel, London, UK

Sara, the law applies to cyclists as well as pedestrians and motorists. The problem is one of adequate enforcement by the police. The police will blame lack of resources from government. The elected government has other priorities like ID cards, futile wars, prestige sports events, voter tax cuts...

Kevin, Leeds,

You'd think that cars were being banned from the venom here.

The amount of miles of roads being turned into 20mph zones that we are talking about here is a pittance compared to the number of miles of roads that are clogged up by overuse.

Why rush down residential streets to get to the next jam?

Hamilton Grayton, Newmarket, UK

20mph zones can be a good thing but please lets see them enforced by speed humps or altering the road design so people actually drive at the speed! Putting up cameras to issue fines to people 2 weeks after they sped past do nothing for road saftey!

Luke, London, UK

No mention of pedestrians having any responsibility in all this - bring back the Green Cross Code and the Tufty Club! As for cyclists...don't get me started!!

Dave West, Croydon,

Legislation is pointless without enforcement

Mike, Gravesend, England

30mph is too fast for a crowded road with children near it. However driving a typical family car at 20mph is quite difficult (and fuel-inefficient), because you have to keep switching between 2nd and 3rd gear. The Americans have got it right with auto transmissions, which make slow driving easy.

Paul Stephens, Bath, UK

for all those who say pedestrians should take more responsiblity, try telling that to a young child playing in the street. if you do hit and kill a child, it will be you asking yourself for the rest of your life, "why was i not going slower"

20mph on urban road makes sense.

keith, chester, uk

I think it's a good idea - no one needs to be driving faster than that in an urban or residential area. Even at 3am - in the city centre there are probably still people walking around, and on housing estates people are trying to sleep and don't need the noise of cars roaring past.

Sarah, London, UK

no point in adding more rules to a book of unenforced rules..even when unlicenced, uninsured drivers are caught they get nothing but a ban!!! how daft is that ? ban them fm something they are not legally entitled to do anyway. we need stiffer penalties for the crimes committed not more rules.

zugerman, zurich, switzerland

Two years ago I would probably have been moaning about this with most of you. I have a toddler now, and am suddenly aware of the high speeds people drive at down urban throughways. This can't come quickly enough.

Chris, Worthing,

Why constantly attack the motorist, what happened to the green cross code, this scheme just stinks of another stealth tax. Who is funding these schemes....oh, that'll be me then!

Jon, Solihull, England

Shameful, the Government is only interested in raising revenue - their commitment to road safety is reflected in their attitude towards tackling drivers on mobile phones.

Philip T, LEEDS, UK</