FAQs
A safer environment for walking and cycling: Reducing speeds creates streets where people feel more comfortable to walk, wheel and cycle. This is especially important for vulnerable groups such as children, older people and people with disabilities. Safer streets can help children travel independently and support everyday active journeys.
Healthier, more active communities: By making walking and cycling feel safer, lower speed limits can help increase physical activity levels among both adults and children. This supports wider health outcomes, including improved mental wellbeing, reduced obesity, help to reduce risks or cardiovascular disease, stroke, lung cancer, and dementia and more opportunities for social connection.
Better air quality and lower emissions: Driving at lower, more consistent speeds reduces unnecessary acceleration and braking, which are two major contributors to pollution. Up to 75% of vehicle pollution comes from brake and tyre wear, not exhaust emissions, and smoother driving helps reduce this. Research shows that lower limits can cut carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions significantly, and cities implementing them have reported reductions of up to 18% in overall transport emissions.
Reduced noise pollution: A reduction from 30mph to 20mph typically decreases noise levels by around 3 decibels, perceived as halving background noise. This makes neighbourhoods more pleasant, especially in areas with high footfall or residential density.
Minimal impact on journey times: In urban environments, journey times are shaped mainly by junctions, crossings and parking, not speed limits. Shifting to lower speeds and 20mph has been shown to have negligible impact on travel time, including for buses. Lower speeds also smooth traffic flow by reducing acceleration and braking.
Lower fuel consumption and driving costs: Smoother driving at lower speeds can reduce fuel use by avoiding rapid acceleration. Real-world modelling suggests drivers can save up to 10p per mile, around 30% of urban fuel costs, when travelling more steadily. Data from areas where lower speeds and 20mph zones have been delivered has also shown that drivers within these zones pay lower insurance premiums, with data from Wales showing an annual insurance saving of around £50.
What are the benefits of the initiative?
Evidence consistently shows that lowering speeds significantly reduces collisions, injuries and fatalities.
Cities such as Bristol, Edinburgh and 40 European areas have seen large reductions in road casualties after introducing speed management and 20mph limits.
Areas where 20mph and reduced speed limits have been introduced have experienced the following benefits:
Why 20mph?
A speed of 20 mph is widely acknowledged as the threshold above which vehicles present a substantially increased risk to pedestrians, cyclists, and other motorists.
Lower speeds provide greater opportunities for drivers to react to unforeseen hazards. For instance, driving at 20mph instead of 30mph allows drivers to stop at half the distance (12m vs 23m).
Data from the roll out of 20mph speed restrictions in other locations has indicated that in the event of a collision there are 7-10 times fewer fatalities if drivers are travelling at 20mph compared to 30mph.
What threat do Gloucestershire’s current traffic issues pose to public health?
Gloucestershire continues to face several traffic related public health challenges, including some longstanding poor air quality at urban pinch points, persistently high numbers of road casualties, and barriers to active travel resulting from safety concerns. These issues contribute to higher rates of injury, respiratory illness, reduced physical activity, and widening health inequalities, particularly in areas that are heavily car dependent or lack safe, accessible alternatives such as walking, cycling and public transport.
How have the initial designs been developed?
The initial designs have been developed by Road Safety Council Officers through workshops with Local Highway Managers (LHMs) who have helped to refine the proposals using their local knowledge and insights.
These insights include issues that have been raised to the LHMs by stakeholders and community members, as well as knowledge and experience of local pinch points and traffic issues, that may not have been identified through the collisions data.
How will the design proposals develop throughout the engagement and consultation processes?
The development of the design proposals will be an iterative process, shaped by ongoing engagement and consultation with both stakeholders and the local community. The Early Design and Engagement phase will seek to gather feedback from the community on the initial designs for their areas. All input received, whether online, at events, or via written correspondence, will be carefully considered and, where appropriate, incorporated within the updated designs.
The community will then have an opportunity to formally respond to the updated designs via the statutory Traffic Order process.
How is active travel being supported through this project?
The project looks to improve safety for active travellers by reducing speeds across the county. These speed reductions are complementary to other recent and emerging active travel schemes such as the Gloucestershire Cycle Spine, and wider improvements to support walking and cycling.
How is the overarching initiative being funded?
£2 million public health funding has been secured to support a wide range of road safety investment by the council. A further £619,000 of road safety capital investment is allocated to the accident remedial programme in the council’s 2026/27 budget towards this initiative. Together this is anticipated to cover investment required for the first 2 years delivery of the safer roads and communities 20s programme.