07/04/2009 - Speed Petition Gathers Pace

A petition against a government proposal to reduce the national speed limit from 60mph to 50mph on single carriageway rural roads has gained over 20,000 signatures.

The proposal to lower the speed limit has been put forward on the grounds of safety, and is seen by some sections of government as a cheap way of reducing road accidents.

This is because it can be achieved at little cost by simply redefining the black diagonal on white circle sign on single carriageways to mean 50mph instead of 60mph.

However, the Association of British Drivers (ABD) set up a petition against the proposals on Downing Street's website.

ABD Spokesman Nigel Humphries said: "This proposal has nothing to do with road safety, and nothing to do with protecting the environment. It is born of the anti-mobility ideology of new-age Luddites who don't even drive."

Anyone wishing to sign the petition can do so by signing the speed limit petition here.

Source: Autocar