FAQs

One of the biggest issues communities raise with both Councillors and roads officials is speeding or inappropriate speed in our communities.

The ‘Scottish Government and Scottish Green Party Shared Policy Programme’ published in 2021 included the commitment that all appropriate roads in built up areas would have a safer speed limit of 20 mph by 2025.

This National Strategy for 20 mph speed limits aims to expand 20 mph speed limits across Scotland and ensure all appropriate roads in built-up areas have a safer speed limit of 20mph by 2025.

The strategy seeks to introduce a consistency for 20 mph speed limits across the country, simplifying speed limits for drivers.

It seeks to reduce perceptions of road danger, encourage people to walk and wheel, and create more pleasant streets and neighbourhoods by providing a more equitable balance between different road users and will contribute to the implementation of the safe system.

What is the Safe System Approach?

The Safe System approach is a way of thinking about road safety that recognises that people make mistakes and that the road environment can be unforgiving. The approach seeks to minimise the risk of death or serious injury by addressing the following five key components:

1. Safe roads and roadsides: Roads and roadsides are designed to reduce the risk of crashes and minimize the severity of any crashes that do occur. This can involve measures such as separating different types of traffic, providing safe spaces for pedestrians and cyclists, and reducing speed limits.
2. Safe vehicles: Vehicles are designed to protect occupants and other road users in the event of a crash. This can involve measures such as electronic stability control, advanced braking systems, and side impact protection.
3. Safe speeds: Speed limits are set to ensure that vehicles are traveling at safe speeds for the road environment. This can involve measures such as speed cameras, road markings, and road design.
4. Safe road users: Road users are educated and encouraged to behave safely on the road. This can involve measures such as driver education and training, public awareness campaigns, and enforcement of traffic laws.
5. Post-Crash Response: It is important to respond quickly and effectively to crashes to minimise the harm caused. This can involve measures such as providing emergency medical care, clearing the road quickly, and investigating the causes of the crash to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.

Transport Scotland will fully fund the implementation of 20mph speed limits around the council network (signing and lining only at this stage). This is a significant financial investment for us.

The funding cannot be used to repair roads. The money is for signs only and cannot be spent on works that require excavations such as those needed for pavements, crossings or cycle paths.  

The legal order to implement the 20mph will, at this stage, be a Temporary Traffic Regulation Order (TTRO)under Section 88 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. This will run for up to 18 months while we monitor the effect on traffic speed. There is no statutory requirement to consult under this process, but we are keen to engage with those interested in the proposed speed limits with a view to refining the proposals for moving to the permanent stage.

Thereafter a further review will be undertaken and a permanent Road Traffic Regulation Order (RTRO) promoted under Section 84 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. This process requires public consultation and there will be an opportunity to formally object to the proposals at this stage. 

"a road is a restricted road .....if ....in Scotland, there is provided on it a system of carriageway lighting furnished by means of lamps placed not more than 185 metres apart and the road is of a classification or type specified for the purposes of this subsection in regulations made by the Scottish Ministers" The Restricted Roads (Classification or Type) (Scotland) Regulations 1985 

This means any road with more than 3 street lights on it and not an A or B road has a 30mph speed limit. 

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all appropriate roads in built-up areas will have a safer speed limit of 20mph by 2025.

Throughout the UK, the culture around 20mph speed limits is changing towards more extensive and default coverage. 20mph speed limits are in force in many of the medium and larger cities in Britain, and more and more rural authorities are introducing larger-scale extended 20mph programmes, including:

• Bristol
• East Lothian
• Edinburgh
• Glasgow
• Liverpool
• Midlothian
• Oxford
• Perth and Kinross
• Portsmouth
• Scottish Borders
• Sheffield
• West Lothian
• Wales
• Highland