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Blanket rural roads limit not supported

While a survey by Direct Line found that '75% of motorists would support a blanket 40mph limit on rural roads', an informal survey on this website indicates that a majority of road safety professionals do not share this view.

53 people responded to our survey, 32 of whom said 'no' to the 40mph limit - because of difficulties in getting drivers to adhere to the limit, and the impracticalities of enforcement.

'If they can't stick to 30 or 40 in built up areas what chance do you have of restricting people to 40 on rural roads, and who is going to police it?' one respondent said.

'The speed limit should be set in relation to the characteristics of the road, not some arbitrary (and low) blanket figure,' was another view.

In contrast, another respondent said: 'I've recently been cycling to work on a rural road and have had a number of close encounters with vehicles.'

Newsfeed editor Nick Rawlings said: "People might expect road safety professionals to favour lower limits under any circumstances, but this survey appears to indicate that this is not the case. As one respondent put it 'speed limits need to be realistic in order for drivers to comply'." 

Roy Buchanan, London Borough of Sutton, challenged the basis of the Direct Line survey. "We are informed that 'almost three-quarters of motorists believe (in the blanket limit)," he says.  "There are 40 million motorists in the UK - is this survey claiming to present the beliefs of nearly 30 million of them?

"No, it is not. It is presenting the beliefs of 75% of the small number they selected and spoke to. Not quite the same thing.

"The insurance company involved should say so clearly and not inflame emotions. In road safety we need cold facts, not hot propaganda," he concluded.

31.07.06 - Drivers want lower limits, survey shows

26.09.05 - Rural roads ad returns