It is reported today in The Sunday Times that the national speed limit is to be reduced from 60 to 50mph. Specifically aimed at reducing the death toll on rural roads, this will improve the lives of all those in West Lancashire who live on one of the many national speed limit roads.

Dave Sudworth has already pointed out that this will be good news in Skelmersdale, and it’s true that there are a couple of roads in the town which have the national speed limit. There are other roads in the town that have 40 and 50mph limits but still have terrible accidents – mainly because of the planning and layout of the road.

A couple of years ago, Rosie Cooper organised a transport related “Let’s Talk” session, and I was taken aback by the tales of those who lived on rural roads. Young families with children trying to get to a school just 500 yards away, but petrified of the speeding traffic outside their house and elderly people who are left isolated because of irresponsible driving.

We live on the A59 close to a stretch between Burscough and Ormskirk. The traffic heading up to Burscough starts accelerating well before the speed limit changes, and southbound traffic regularly exceeds 50mph well into the 40mph zone. I know that braking technology on cars has improved, but the regular sight of cars being dug out of hedges and front garden walls suggests that the brain to foot and foot to pedal technology is still somewhere in the stone-ages.

Well done to the government for standing up to the driving lobby and implementing something that will make a real improvement to people’s lives.

Gratuitous hat tip to Dave for spotting this.