Call for Wales to opt out of 80mph motorway plan

A coalition of 25 Welsh organisations has said the country should opt out of any plan to increase motorway speed limits.

Sustainable Transport Cymru (STC), which is made up of private, public and voluntary bodies in Wales, wants to see the limit remain at 70mph, even though a consultation on whether to raise the limit to 80mph in England and Wales is due to be held by 2013.

As well as being concerned that the move could potentially lead to more accidents occurring on Welsh roads, STC is worried about the impact it could have on the environment. Group chairman Lee Waters said an increase had the potential to "raise [Wales'] oil consumption and carbon emissions at a time when we need to cut both".

Supporters of the idea argue that the current speed limit, which was established in 1965, is now no longer fit for purpose thanks to significant improvements in vehicle and road safety. They say significant economic benefits would result, with hundreds of millions of pounds being saved every year thanks to shorter journey times. 

It has also been suggested that close to half of all drivers break the current motorway speed limit.