Its time for the council to show leadership and - with all speed - make Sheffield a 20mph city
David Walsh on the 20mph plans in Sheffield
When a kid on a bike nearly rode into my car recently a catastrophe was avoided because I was doing 20mph.
In the aftermath of the emergency stop I noticed he was wearing a helmet but the strap wasn’t done up. A little detail that could have made a huge difference.
The other big difference was my speed.
A pedestrian hit by a car at 30mph is seven times more likely to die than at 20, according to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents.
As it was, we all carried on with our day, unhurt but hopefully a little wiser.
Introduced in 2012, it covers 113 mostly residential areas.
The authority wants to know if it should expand and apply to streets near shops, streets near schools, ‘streets with high numbers of people walking, cycling and wheeling’ and a host of other situations.
But, for me, the argument is over.
The benefits of 20mph driving include smoother-running traffic, less pollution, friendlier streets which encourage more walking and cycling, lower insurance costs and overall, I predict, happier, less stressed-out drivers.
Crucially, 20mph zones don’t actually restrict your freedom to drive - you just have to do it a bit more carefully.
And in the end they are only a bit slower - it is claimed that a journey at 20mph takes an extra eight seconds per mile, on average, compared to one at 30.
The irony is that, due to congestion, you’re lucky if you can get up to 20mph a lot of the time.
Cars are great, but they have ruled the road for too long.
It’s time now for the council to recognise the direction of travel, show leadership and - with all speed - make Sheffield a 20mph city.