In 2024, nearly 36,000 drivers in North Wales were caught speeding in 20mph zones, raising concerns about road safety and enforcement effectiveness.
Flintshire: In December, 3,675 drivers were caught speeding in 20mph zones. This brings the total for 2024 to almost 36,000. And remember, monitoring only started in late March.
GoSafe Wales reported over 85,000 speeding violations in the first year of the new 20mph limit. Mid and South Wales began monitoring earlier, catching over 48,000 drivers.
Safety advocates say the numbers show the new limits are working. But drivers can speed up to 26mph without facing prosecution. This threshold might drop to 24mph in March 2025.
Interestingly, some areas saw almost no speeding. Powys had seven monitoring sites but recorded zero offences. Ceredigion had just one site and only one offence.
Most speeding was in urban areas. By October, 7,197 drivers were caught on the A5104 in Flintshire. The worst spot was the A4102 in Merthyr Tydfil, with over 8,000 offences.
Flintshire had 15 monitoring sites, catching more speeders than most other areas. Despite a shorter monitoring period, they still had high numbers.
In Wrexham, only 23 drivers were caught, even with eight monitoring sites. Gwynedd and Anglesey also had low numbers, with 353 and 485 offences, respectively.
In December, the average speed recorded was 28.5mph, the lowest since monitoring began. The highest speed was 65mph, with some drivers hitting 88mph earlier in the year.
The 20mph limit, introduced in September 2023, covers about a third of Wales’ roads. Some areas may return to 30mph after a review.
While the 20mph limit is controversial, many agree it’s needed near schools and hospitals. Early data suggests fewer serious accidents due to the new limits.
Campaign group 20’s Plenty for Us believes the limit is effective. Their director noted that speeding offences are similar to previous years, despite the lower limit.
However, the Welsh Conservatives argue the cost to drivers is too high. They want the policy scrapped, claiming it harms the economy and inconveniences motorists.
