Call for 20mph zones across Blackburn and Darwen
9:00am Friday 24th February 2012 in News
By Jon Livesey
, Reporter
REDUCE ACCIDENTS Road speeds could be set at 20mph
A CAMPAIGN has been launched to introduce a 20mph speed limit in every one of Blackburn with Darwen’s residential roads.
Liberal Democrat councillors said they were taking the action in response to the borough’s higher-than-average accident rate and complaints about speed humps.
Blackburn with Darwen has a number of 20mph zones, but campaigners want the local authority to mirror Lancashire County Council’s commitment to bringing in a lower limit in every residential road.
Coun David Foster, leader of the Lib Dems in Blackburn with Darwen, believes it would result in fewer accidents and injuries.
He said: "We have a higher-than-average accident rate in the borough and studies suggest that the introduction of a 20mph limit would reduce accidents by 20-to-30 per cent.
“These 20mph speed limits are not new and we do have some areas in the borough which have a 20mph limit.
“One of the drawbacks in the past has been the introduction of road humps in 20mph areas.
“This has made it expensive and unpopular with some people.
“Regulations have now changed and road humps are not required.”
Last month the Lancashire Telegraph revealed that boy-racers in the Highercroft area of Blackburn were competing to get speeds of 100mph to register on an interactive sign in a 20mph zone.
Coun Foster said: “We don't expect the whole of the borough to have the limit overnight, but we want a commitment from the council to have a rolling programme to see them introduced eventually across the whole of the borough.
“We would expect them to target high accident areas initially.”
Coun Foster said he would expect there to be a period of consultation with residents before a 20mph limit was introduced in their area.
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