Recent data reveals a surge in speeding offences in Carmarthenshire since the introduction of the 20mph speed limit
Lee Waters, the politician behind this change, admitted that the Welsh Government could have handled things better. A whopping 450,000 people signed a petition asking for the limit to be scrapped! That’s a lot of voices, right?
Transport Secretary Ken Skates mentioned that while many support the 20mph limit in areas like schools and housing estates, some roads really shouldn’t have been included. He’s all for letting communities decide what works best for them.
Driving around Carmarthen, you can see the mixed feelings about the new limit. Some roads seem fine for 20mph, while others feel a bit too slow. We got our hands on some data showing how many drivers have been caught speeding since the limit was introduced.
Interestingly, there were no speeding tickets issued in the first few months as police were more focused on helping people adjust. But come March, things changed, and the number of offences started to climb. By September, a staggering 675 drivers were caught speeding, with some going nearly 50mph in a 20mph zone!
Overall, Carmarthenshire saw 999 speeding offences in that year, with an average speed of 29mph for those caught. It’s clear that the new limit has sparked a lot of discussions about road safety and how to make it work for everyone.
Edward Thomas from the council pointed out that speeds on roads have generally decreased, but they want to compare these new figures with the old ones to see the real impact. They’re also gathering feedback from the public to see what changes might be needed moving forward. Safety is the priority, and they want to make sure everyone has a say in the process.
