FAQs

A 20mph neighbourhood is an area made up of mostly residential roads with a 20mph speed limit applied across the area.  The neighbourhood may include some busier roads, particularly in and around retail areas, where data shows a significant number of collisions could be prevented or made less severe by reducing the speed limit.

20mph zones are usually smaller and often use other interventions such as speed humps and pinch points to slow traffic.  20mph neighbourhoods cover a wider area and typically rely on signs and driver compliance.

Accelerating up to a reduced speed of 20mph, and driving at a more consistent speed, should result in lower tyre and brake abrasion and this can also save on your fuel costs.

An evaluation of 20mph zones(External link), carried out by Imperial College, showed slowing traffic had no net negative impact on exhaust emissions, but that a smoother driving style reduced particulate emissions from tyre and brake wear - which represents a significant cause of air pollution.

Compared to 30mph, 20mph means 3 decibels less traffic noise. This level of noise reduction means that people can more easily listen to each other talking and also sleep better.

On a clear stretch of road, travelling at 20mph will obviously take longer than travelling at a higher speed. However, research indicates that at slower speeds, vehicles flow more smoothly through junctions. As such, within an urban environment, 20mph may help to improve traffic flow.

There are currently 77 20mph zones of varying sizes across the BCP area and these have been broadly welcomed by the local communities where they are in place. 

Of those schemes where we have ten years of like-for-like data, we know in average the casualty collisions have reduced by almost half.

We receive hundreds of emails every year from residents and schools asking us to improve road safety across BCP. Of these approximately half are asking for a lower speed of vehicles on their roads. We have listened to residents' concerns, and we want to make the roads in BCP safer for everyone, and cleaner and more livable for our communities.

We are proposing Winton and surrounding areas because there is a high rate of road traffic accidents there.

We looked at data from all BCP residential areas (approx. 130 neighbourhoods) in the Local Cycling & Walking Implementation Plan and ranked them according to the number and severity of accidents within them in the past 5 years.  The Winton area had the highest, but some of the nearby areas also ranked very high so were combined to form the 20mph neighbourhood that is being consulted upon.

The creation of 20mph neighbourhoods in BCP would align us with more than 20 UK urban authorities, including Southampton, Bristol, Brighton, Portsmouth Edinburgh, Chichester and Bath, who have already implemented 20mph speed limits in their urban areas

Studies done in these areas have shown 20mph limits to be successful in reducing casualties.  For example:

• Brighton & Hove: A 20-mph limit reduced the number of casualties by 12% and the number of seriously injured or killed by 20%
• Newcastle: A 20-mph limit in some areas reduced the number of car-related accidents by more than half
• Portsmouth: A 20-mph limit reduced reported injuries by 21%

A 20mph speed limit would be enforced in the same way as the current 30mph speed limits.  Dorset Police will not be allocating any additional resources but as with the current speed limit, they will monitor where there is evidence of persistent speeding. 

We would encourage every driver to comply with the 20mph limit, if introduced, so that they reduce the risk of serious injury to children and other vulnerable road users.

Dorset Police also make use of Community Speed Watch volunteers to monitor speeds and we would encourage local people to find out more about becoming a volunteer.

Yes. All speed limits (including 20mph) contain an exemption for vehicles on emergency calls. Emergency service vehicles using blue lights can travel as quickly as they think is safe to do so, based on road conditions (such as how busy it is and the size of the road).

The cost of rolling out 20mph Neighbourhoods across BCP at the same time is not achievable within the council's budget. However, councillors have agreed to set aside a more modest amount to roll out one or two areas each year, following public consultation with the local communities.  

We are prioritising the areas where the number of collisions, together with other factors like the number of schools and existing 20mph zones mean that the scheme is likely to have the greatest benefit.

The estimated cost of implementing this 20mph neighbourhood, including the removal of existing signs, installation of new signs and lines is around £200k.  This is an estimate, and the cost could vary on the basis that the extent of the scheme could alter following this consultation.  

It is also worth noting that according to the Department for Transport (DfT) in 2023 the average cost to society per road related collision resulting in injury or death was £109,897*.

*This figure is for accidents in built-up areas, excluding motorways

The council is awarded a Local Transport Plan (LTP) capital grant annually from the Department for Transport (DfT).  A proportion of the LTP grant (not Council Tax) would be used to deliver 20mph neighbourhoods.

We take public consultations seriously and use them to try to understand what matters most to our residents. These are your streets, and you know them better than we do. This is where you live and work and where your children go to school so we want to hear whether you think a 20mph neighbourhood would be right for your area.

However, consultations - unlike referendums - are not a direct vote on a proposal. The findings of this survey will be considered alongside other data and evidence to enable council members to make their decision.  If a strong case is made, they may consider adding or removing roads from the scheme or they may decide to go ahead as proposed or not at all.

The Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan identified approximately 130 neighbourhoods. These neighbourhoods have been ranked according to the number and severity of accidents within them in the past 5 years.  The Winton area had the highest number of accidents.  Some of the nearby areas also ranked very high in the priority list and so were combined to form the 20mph neighbourhood that is being consulted upon.

Councillors and officers will consider the findings of the survey before deciding whether to proceed with the 20mph neighbourhood in Winton and surrounding areas.  This will involve considering not just the number of respondents who support or oppose the scheme, but also their reasons for doing so and balancing these with the expected benefits of reduced speed limits. 

If they decide to go ahead, there are several official processes to go through to legally change a speed limit. This includes the Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) process. This is an important step and will give members of the public a final opportunity to have their say on the proposed scheme. 

No. 20mph neighbourhoods are both less disruptive and less costly to install than 20mph zones as they do not use any traffic calming measures such as speed humps or chicanes.

A 20mph neighbourhood is implemented by installing signs and painting roundels on the road to act as a reminder to drivers and involves minimal disruption.

You may have seen signs like the one pictured in some locations.

Part time 20mph speed limits under the regulations are advisory and can only be used outside schools. 

They consist of a school ‘20 when lights show’ sign combined with wig wag units that are set to flash at the start and end of the school day. 

The speed limit is advisory only and cannot be enforced. 

We know that there are strong feelings about 20mph speed limits, both locally and nationally, with campaign groups both supporting and opposed to reduced speed limits. This is about listening to the views of BCP residents, particularly those who live, work, travel through the proposed 20mph area. This survey requires users to create an account (if they don't already have one) with a verified email address. This should only take a minute or so to complete.  

We have found instances in a previous consultation where we have seen individuals encouraging other people to fill out the survey multiple times.

This is our third consultation this year for which respondents are required to create an account with a verified email address.

This also allows us to directly contact respondents so we can update them on consultation outcomes, 

As always, it is important to remember that a consultation survey is not a vote or referendum.  It provides decision makers with an indication of public opinion, including the reasons why people may support or oppose a proposal.  This information is considered alongside other information