Every year, too many families in Gloucestershire receive news nobody should ever have to hear. Around 25 to 30 people die on our roads, about 300 are seriously injured and a further 600 to 700 suffer slight injuries. That means at least 1,000 people are hurt in road collisions across the county every year.
Behind every statistic is a person, a family and a community changed in an instant. That is why road safety matters so much to me and why introducing 20mph limits was a manifesto commitment.
The risks differ across the county. Most deaths happen in rural areas, often involving drivers, passengers and motorcyclists on higher-speed roads. Through our Safer Roads campaign, we are looking at making changes to roads where there have been a number of incidents. In urban areas, people walking and cycling are much more likely to be injured. Community 20 is designed to tackle that problem.
It's not simply about changing the speed limit. It's about changing behaviour to create places where people feel safer outside their cars. I see 20mph limits as similar to the smoking ban: a practical intervention that helps establish a healthier social norm. Elsewhere, lower limits have helped make streets calmer and more pleasant, encouraging walking, running, cycling and outdoor play.
The safety case is strong. In Bristol, lowering speed limits to 20mph led to 63% fewer deaths. In Edinburgh, a city-wide limit reduced injuries by 39% in one year. A 2024 study of 40 European cities found that 20mph limits reduced injuries by 38%.
Speed has a direct relationship with the severity of injury. If a pedestrian is hit by a car travelling at 19mph, the average risk of death is around five per cent. At 30mph, that risk is more than five times higher. Lower speeds create a more forgiving environment: drivers have longer to react and can stop much sooner. If anyone makes a mistake, there is a better chance of correcting it before it becomes a tragedy.
There are wider benefits. Safer streets encourage activity, improve health and wellbeing, make walking and cycling more attractive and strengthen communities. They also support our ambition to be carbon neutral by 2030.
Air quality matters too. There is little evidence that driving at 20mph automatically creates more pollution. Repeated acceleration and braking increase emissions, while smoother driving reduces them. Up to 75% of pollution from cars comes from tyres and brakes rather than exhausts. The same European study found that 20mph limits cut emissions by 18%.
Some people worry that lower limits will make journeys much longer. In reality, the difference is usually very small. Congestion, junctions and traffic lights already mean that average speeds in urban areas are often in the mid-teens. Data from cars built during the past decade shows the impact on most trips will be minimal.
The human cost of a collision is immeasurable, but the financial cost is huge. A fatal collision is estimated to cost society £3m, a serious collision £300,000 and a slight collision £30,000. Across Gloucestershire, that annual total is about £200m, including emergency services, treatment and lost earnings.
From a public health perspective, 20mph limits are like brushing your teeth: a simple preventative measure that can help avoid a far more painful and costly outcome later.
The programme is supported by £2.7m from the council's budget, a Department for Transport grant and public health. We are now engaging residents in priority areas before moving to statutory consultation.
I am fully aware that 20mph zones can anger many people and that is why we are implementing Community 20 differently from many other areas. We invited all 267 parish councils and six district councils to submit expressions of interest and received 158 responses. We assessed potential schemes using collision records, deprivation data, and levels of walking and cycling and prioritised them.
The programme is supported by £2.7m from the council's budget, a Department for Transport grant and public health. We are now engaging residents in priority areas before moving to statutory consultation.
Local people can add comments directly to interactive maps, highlighting dangerous roads, difficult junctions and their own experiences. The maps also show proposed changes and collision information, making the process more accessible and giving us an excellent evidence base for decisions.
This will not mean imposing 20mph everywhere. In some places, reducing a 40mph limit to 30mph may be right. We will consider the evidence, the character of each area and the views of the people who live there.
Engagement has taken place in Cirencester and Cheltenham and has begun in Stroud. The response in Cheltenham was remarkable, with extremely high interest and participation.
Not everyone will agree with this proposal but I am excited about the changes our Safer Roads and Community20 will bring, it's a classic example of delivering change from the ground up: combining evidence, public health expertise and local experience to make Gloucestershire's roads safer, healthier and more welcoming for everyone. I am confident that by bringing residents along the journey with us they will understand the benefits to themselves and their families.
Cllr Lisa Spivey is leader of Gloucestershire CC
