'20mph frustration to blame' for speeding fines jump on faster roads

Anti-20mph protest convoys have been held on the A483 and A55 between Wrexham and Bangor
-Credit: (Image: Reach Publishing Services Limited)


This summer has seen a surge in speeding fines on faster roads compared to last year, but road safety chiefs aren't attributing this to the new 20mph limit. Nevertheless North Wales Live readers have been expressing their doubts about this claim in our comments section.

North Wales Live submitted a Freedom of Information request to investigate how offences had changed across all roads in North Wales, comparing June, July and August this year with the same months in 2023. As one might expect when comparing the 20mph and 30mph roads to last year, there has been an increase in offences - with 11,366 in 2023 and 14,745 this summer, marking a rise of almost 30%. Given the lower limit for drivers to adapt to, this is perhaps not surprising.

However, there has also been a significant increase in offences on faster roads this summer and an overall increase in deaths across Wales. For instance, there were 1,158 notices of prosecution last summer on 50mph roads, but a staggering 5,970 over the same months in 2024 - a massive 415% increase.

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The biggest change on the roads between those two periods was the introduction of the 20mph limit, and North Wales Live has questioned road safety bosses as to whether the increased fines on faster drivers could be due to drivers speeding more on higher limit roads to makeup for lost time on the new 20mph stretches.

However, road authorities have suggested that other factors could account for these figures when it comes to the increased number of speeding offences, such as more staffing, new office systems and additional cameras.

Commenter Eggy79 thinks: “That's a substantial increase on non-20mph roads. Despite the protestations to the contrary, it's clear from driving dozens of miles every day that people get incredibly frustrated with the 15/20mph land trains & plugged junctions created by this well meaning, but terribly incompetent piece of legislation. That creates more dangerous behaviour than the legislation itself prevents.”

Ian papworth replies: “There were a load of prosecutions for no seat belt, no crash helmet, and drink driving when legislation (equally unpopular) came in. It will bed in as people get used to it and the more recalcitrant stop moaning. As for the majority being against 20 mph please name a conservative MP or PCC who got into office after campaigning to scrap 20 mph?”

Tainewydd says: “The solution to road safety is not to focus on speed, apart from the very few whose speed is grossly inappropriate. It should instead focus on increased driver training, to bring the slower, lower standard drivers (such as the ones who do 15 mph in a 20mph zone) up to a more competent level.”

Tainewydd asks: “Policing by consent refers to the power of the police coming from the common consent of the public, as opposed to the power of the state. So given that the overwhelming majority of the public are strongly opposed to this, should the police even be enforcing the 20mph zones?”

Lee77 believes: “If you're the kind of driver that gets frustrated at a person in front doing 15 in a 20 you're going to be a problem on the road. With 30 years of driving experience and over 10 as a professional driver the best advice I can pass on is to always stay cool and keep a safe distance. Being inconvenienced is never an excuse to tailgate and drive dangerously.

"Some people prefer to drive slower than I personally would in a given circumstance. But a speed limit is a maximum not a minimum speed, and everyone should drive to their own ability and reaction time. However, the elderly and people with certain medical conditions should hand in their licence if their reaction time and awareness is impaired to a degree that they feel they cannot safely drive at a suitable speed any more. But having a crash and blaming the car in front for driving too slow and making you make a mistake is delusional and ridiculous.”

Thewokearefastasleep replies: “If you like driving like a snail, pull over, let everyone else pass and when the long queue has gone you can continue your slow journey until you have to pull over for the next queue you've caused. It's official, since the introduction of the 20mph there has been an increase in deaths on the roads.”

PedroD adds: “The safety bosses are deluded. People who think they have lost time in a 20mph limit will try and get it back when on a national limit road. Many of us have observed the behaviour. Some, who will normally have driven at the limit, will be tempted to exceed it, it follows.”

Vaux08hall thinks: “They will not admit that 20mph is the problem and an increase in accidents is a failure. I now drive much faster on all roads to make up time lost on the 20mph roads.”

Tainewydd agrees: “I always drive faster elsewhere now to make up for time lost behind 15mph dawdlers in the 20mph zones. Never seen so many dodgy overtakes out of sheer frustration since the 20mph limits came in. Treat the public like children and they will behave like children. Some of us have busy lives, kids, jobs etc. As per scientific research, usually faster drivers are safer and with less accidents than those who drive to the limit or slower.”

Apollo11 replies: “Set off a few minutes earlier to compensate for the extra time! Don't speed, don't take a chance on causing an accident or getting a speeding fine. Are you saying you would put your kids' lives in jeopardy? The law is the law until it is changed.”

Do you think the 20 mph speed limit is causing more accidents? Are you happy to observe the speed limits? Have your say in our comments section.