Rejected petition: Restrict blanket 20mph speed limits on major and strategic roads.
Rejected on
Prevent councils from putting blanket 20mph limits on major and red routes. Force them to use evidence-based limits, robustly justify changes, and review roads with poor compliance.
We support 20mph limits outside schools, in busy residential areas, and where there is a genuine safety concern. However, blanket limits on wider main roads and red routes do not reflect the road design.
When speed limits feel unreasonable, it damages public respect for them overall, risking lower compliance in areas where slower speeds are truly vital for safety. Speed limits must be based on road conditions and clear evidence, not blanket policies.
Why was this petition rejected?
It’s about something that the UK Government or Parliament is not directly responsible for.
Decisions about 20mph speed limits are for local councils, not the UK Government or Parliament.
You could raise your issue with a local councillor who represents you. You can use this page to find out who your local councillors are, and how to contact them: https://www.gov.uk/find-your-local-councillors
We could accept a petition calling for a change to the current government guidance for local authorities, providing it was clear what change you wanted to see. You can read the guidance here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/setting-local-speed-limits/setting-local-speed-limits
We only reject petitions that don’t meet the petition standards.