Friday 17 August 2018
The Committee for Home Affairs has submitted its views in respect of the speed limit consultation.
Deputy Mary Lowe, President of Home Affairs, said:
'It is now for the Committee for the Environment & Infrastructure to consider all the feedback received. I can however confirm that the Committee for Home Affairs has both expressed its political view and also endorsed points which it is aware the police have decided to pass to the Committee for the Environment & Infrastructure. The following are the key messages we trust the CfE&I will take into account.
- While there may be arguments for reassessing speed limits around certain danger spots or stretches of highway, the blanket approach does not appear to be sufficiently evidence based;
- As a general principle initiatives which improve road safety and ensure the free flow of traffic are to be welcomed;
- Regardless of the defined speed limit most drivers (and not just in Guernsey) proceed at a speed they consider appropriate for the road in question;
- Where lower speed limits are set around schools there is the option for these to apply only when the schools are open;
- It is recognised that the Police currently focus on the reckless few who travel at excessive speeds thereby putting all in danger. This is an operational focus which the Committee for Home Affairs fully endorses;
- Revising the speed limits may create a public expectation regarding a level of enforcement that is unlikely to be met within finite police resources. However an investment by the CfE&I in traffic control and management technology linked to an automated fixed penalty system could be a partial solution.'
