Drivers could see national speed limits reduced as Labour's road safety plans come under fire

Drivers could face new national speed limits after road safety experts urged Labour to introduce tougher measures to tackle road fatalities.

The warning follows a recent Transport Committee session where experts stated the Government's current plans would fail to meet its target of cutting deaths and serious injuries on UK roads by 2030.

Giving evidence to MPs on the Transport Committee, witnesses warned how Labour's goal of reducing those killed or seriously injured by 65 per cent over the next decade was unlikely to be achieved without major policy changes.

Among the proposals were nationwide guidance on lower speed limits, dedicated road safety funding and faster implementation of the Government's strategy.

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Dan Campsall, chairman of Agilysis, said ministers would need to go much further in offering support and guidance to make meaningful change to road fatalities.

He told MPs: "It is hard to see that the measures that are currently in the strategy will be sufficient, and it is likely that further work will be required with consideration of some other policy measures."

His organisation's modelling found that introducing guidance similar to Wales' default 20mph limits in built-up areas could reduce casualties in England by between 10 and 15 per cent, making it one of the most effective measures available.

Sarah Whitebread, head of policy and public affairs at Cycling UK, said there was also strong public backing for reducing speed limits on dangerous rural roads.

She told MPs: "We have done some YouGov polling on this, and it has huge public support, with an overwhelming 78 per cent or 79 per cent supporting lowering speed limits on single-carriageway rural roads when they are passing through villages or where they are narrow and winding."

Ms Whitebread urged ministers to issue national guidance so councils could introduce appropriate speed limits more quickly and consistently.

Kate Carpenter, vice-president of the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation, described Labour's casualty reduction target as "aspirational", warning there was a gap between the Government's ambitions and how road safety measures were being delivered across England.

She also called for stronger national leadership instead of leaving individual councils to process thousands of traffic regulation orders separately.

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The panel criticised the lack of resources to advance the Road Safety Strategy, with Ms Whitebread telling MPs: "There is no funding allocated specifically for road safety."

Martin Wiltshire, assistant manager of safer roads and parking at Hampshire County Council, said financial pressures meant some councils could not even afford to repaint road markings, forcing them to prioritise only essential stop and give way lines.

Experts also urged ministers to speed up work on new road categorisation guidance, which would use data such as road width, nearby housing and pedestrian numbers to help councils choose safer speed limits.

The witnesses argued that improving road safety would require action across the Government rather than from the Department for Transport alone.

Ms Whitebread said: "We need to bring all these Departments together to really embed the safe system.

"We still do not yet know the make-up of that board or when it is first going to meet. We need to see rapid progress on these things if we are going to meet the strategy."

The panel also expressed frustration that six months after Labour launched its Road Safety Strategy, the board responsible for overseeing delivery had still not been established.

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