New proposals to allow councils to put in place 20mph schemes without the need for traffic calming measures such as speed humps have been announced by Road Safety Minister Paul Clark.

The Government is encouraging local councils to introduce 20mph schemes into residential streets and other roads where cycle and pedestrian traffic is high, such as around schools, shops and parks.

In the past, councils wanting to implement 20mph schemes have had to do so in ‘zones’ which require traffic calming measures such as speed humps.

However, following a successful city-wide trial in Portsmouth which suggested it is possible to significantly reduce speeds on residential streets without speed humps or other traffic calming measures, the Department for Transport plans to allow 20mph limits to be used across more streets where traffic speeds are already low without the need for such measures.

Last week a report published in the British Medical Journal found that 20mph zones in London had led to a dramatic reduction in the number of accidents in those areas and called for more 20mph zones and limits to be put in place.