Newham Council has completed the borough-wide 20mph rollout, a key milestone in the borough’s commitment to road safety and healthier lifestyles for residents, workers, and visitors.
- Council completes borough-wide rollout of 20mph speed limits, improving road safety.
- Introduction of 20mph speed limits aims to reduce road collisions, with evidence showing that a 1mph decrease in speed can reduce crashes by up to 6%.
- Initiative supports the Vision Zero strategy to eliminate fatalities and serious injuries on roads by 2041.
The introduction of the 20mph speed limits will help reduce the number and severity of road traffic collisions, which have tragically claimed lives and caused life-changing injuries across Newham. Between 2017 and 2022, there were 5,200 road collision casualties in the borough, including 16 fatalities and 598 serious injuries. Data shows that the majority of these serious and fatal injuries occurred on roads with a 30mph limit. Research indicates that reducing speed limits can help decrease both the number of incidents and the severity of injuries. In fact, a 1mph reduction in average speed can reduce collisions by up to 6%.
Mayor of Newham, Rokhsana Fiaz OBE, said: “Today marks a significant achievement for Newham as we complete the rollout of 20mph speed limits across the borough. This vital measure will improve road safety, reduce collisions and save lives.
“By reducing road danger, we’re helping to protect vulnerable communities and ensuring that everyone, regardless of their background, can travel safely. As we work towards Vision Zero, this step is an important part of our commitment to creating a safer, greener and more connected Newham for all.”
Councillor Sarah Ruiz, Statutory Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Environment, Sustainable Transport, Children Services and Education, said: “The rollout of the 20mph speed limit across Newham is a vital step toward creating safer streets for everyone. By reducing speed, we can significantly lower the risk of serious injuries and fatalities while promoting healthier lifestyles through walking and cycling. This initiative reflects our commitment to improving road safety and addressing health inequalities, ensuring that all residents, regardless of background, can feel secure and supported in their daily travels. It’s part of our wider vision to build a more sustainable, active and vibrant community for the future.”
Mandy Young, Deputy Head Teacher of Rebecca Cheetham Nursery School and Children's Centre, said: “We are delighted that Newham Council is lowering traffic speeds across the borough. We encourage our children to walk, cycle and scoot to school, and reduced traffic speeds make it easier and safer for children across Newham to get to school in healthy and sustainable ways.”
Reducing road danger is a critical step in addressing health inequalities. Research shows that people in more deprived areas, particularly young men, are disproportionately affected by road injuries and fatalities. Between 2017 and 2019, those in the most deprived 30% of London had double the rate of fatalities or serious injuries compared to those in the least deprived areas. By introducing 20mph limits across Newham, the Council is actively working to reduce these disparities and ensure that all residents, regardless of their background, can feel safe on the roads.
As the Council works towards the London Mayor’s Vision Zero strategy, which aims to eliminate fatalities and serious injuries on the roads by 2041, 20mph speed limits are a key step in achieving this goal. This also ensures consistency with neighbouring boroughs, many of which have already adopted similar speed limits.
Some major roads are not included in the 20mph programme and will retain their existing speed limits, you can see them here. Private streets (e.g. in developments or estates) and streets that are not managed by the Council are also excluded from the Newham 20mph programme.
For more information on Newham’s 20mph programme, visit the website.
