The Scottish Government is committed to creating a healthier, greener and safer Scotland and believes that the introduction of 20 miles per hour (mph) restrictions can help to contribute to all these objectives. By reducing speed on our roads we can create streets where the space is shared more equally between different road users and create a safer environment, encouraging people to make active travel choices. Together with our road safety partners we are committed to the outcome of providing safer road travel in Scotland for everyone. In 2009 the Scottish Government published Scotland’s Road Safety Framework to 2020 - Go Safe on Scotland’s Roads it’s Everyone’s Responsibility. The Framework provides strategic direction and has eight national priorities for road safety in Scotland - one of which is speed. The Framework includes a wide range of measures aimed at addressing speed. It sets out a partnership approach to take Scotland towards an ultimate vision of zero fatalities and much reduced serious injuries on our roads. The Scottish Government is committed to encourage initiatives that cut speed, particularly near schools, in residential areas and in other areas of our towns and cities where there is a significant volume of pedestrian or cyclist activity. The Scottish Government believe it is right that local authorities should have the power to set appropriate speed limits on local roads in order to meet local circumstances. The Scottish Government is also keen to see a transformation of our towns and cities to ensure people are prioritised over motor vehicles and increasingly choose to walk or cycle when they make short journeys. In March 2010, the Scottish Government published Designing Streets: A Policy Statement for Scotland to provide local authorities with guidance on the design and redesign of new and existing streets, which focuses on the needs of all road users. It encourages the creation of shared spaces and social streets to encourage active travel and create places that people can enjoy and states that “for residential streets, a maximum design speed of 20 mph should normally be an objective” In November 2013 the Scottish Government published its Town Centre Action Plan which recognized the vital role that town centres play as integrated transport hubs and the role that they play in active travel. The Scottish Government also aims to ensure that people improve their health, especially in disadvantaged communities, where circumstances can have a significant impact on a person’s health. There is clear evidence that lower speeds reduce the number of casualties, and there is specific evidence of casualty reduction in 20 mph speed limit zones. It is argued that this is particularly true for disadvantaged areas and communities5, and would help to reduce health inequalities. Between 2009 and 2013 almost 90% of pedal cycle casualties and over 95% of pedestrian casualties occurred on roads with a speed limit of 40 mph or less. The number of casualties in each of these years, on average, was 2,842, 22% of the overall Scottish total and on average there were 37 fatalities and 562 serious injuries, each year. These figures clearly demonstrate a real need to focus on the most vulnerable road users. The Scottish Government is committed to protecting vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and pedal cyclists on our streets. In June 2010, the Scottish Government launched the country’s first Cycling Action Plan for Scotland (CAPS) which aims to get more people cycling more often. The vision is that, by 2020, 10% of all journeys taken in Scotland will be by bicycle. Reducing vehicle speeds is a key part in encouraging people to make the choice of walking or cycling. An updated CAPS 20137 was launched in June 2013. This document encourages local authorities to introduce more 20 mph limits across urban areas, as a means of enhancing their strategic approaches to develop a local cycling infrastructure, which will aid increased participation in cycling for everyday travel. In June 2014 the Scottish Government launched the National Walking Strategy which aimed to create a culture of walking where everyone walks more often. A key part in encouraging people to walk is ensuring that it is safe to do so. Introducing such speed restrictions will help us to reduce the number of accidents, casualties and fatalities on Scotland’s roads. 20 mph speed restrictions can also help promote active travel choices and can result in improvements to both the local and wider environment. Inappropriate and excessive speed is a significant cause of death and injury on the roads. Travelling too fast for the conditions or excessive speed is reported in 13% of all reported accidents and 20% of fatal accidents.8 Transport Scotland and its road safety partners want to see all road users travel, not just within the legal speed limit at all times, but at the speed most appropriate for the conditions, taking into account other road users. There is a strong argument for 20 mph speed restrictions on certain roads in Scotland. Drivers travelling at higher speeds have less time to identify and react to what is happening around them and it takes longer for the vehicle to stop. Any resulting crash is more severe, causing greater injury to the occupants and to any pedestrian, rider or other vehicle involved in the collision. A 2010 Department for Transport (DfT) publication which looked at the relationship between speed and risk of fatal injury found that the risk of fatal injury to pedestrians rose from under 1% at an impact speed of 20 mph to 5.5%, or 1 in 20, at 30 mph. Above 30 mph risk increased very substantially, to over 30% at an impact speed of 40 mph. Another study looking at the effect of speeds on overall accident numbers found a clear relationship. On the types of urban road likely to be considered for a 20 mph speed limit the study found the accidents could be expected to fall by between 4% and 6% for each 1 mph reduction in average speed. The greatest reductions were achievable on “busy main roads in towns with high levels of pedestrian activity”. While pedestrians and cyclists are particularly vulnerable to higher-speed impacts, lower speeds do not just have a benefit for vulnerable road users, as car occupants are also likely to suffer greater injuries at higher speeds. The information in this Good Practice Guide is intended as guidance only. It is not meant to modify or override any of the provisions contained in the relevant road traffic legislation. The guidance should not be used in isolation, but read in conjunction with the more comprehensive advice on these matters set out in the relevant legislation and guidance, including the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2002 (SI2002/3113) (TSRGD),the Traffic Signs Manual and related Traffic Advisory Leaflets. This Guide is intended for use by Scottish Local Authorities and replaces all previous guidance on 20 mph issued by the Scottish Executive including SODD Circular 13/1999; 2001 SEDD Circular No.6/2001; ETLLD Circular No. 1 /2004 (relating to schools) and Section 5.1 of ETLLD Circular No.1/2006. This Guide aims to provide clarity to local authorities on the options available to them and aid greater consistency on the setting of 20 mph speed restrictions throughout Scotland. It also aims to encourage local authorities to set 20 mph speed restrictions, where appropriate. Local authorities have a number of options at their disposal when considering introducing a 20 mph speed restriction, namely: 20 mph speed limit zones; * 20 mph limits; and * Variable and part time 20 mph limits. The guidance contained in this paper has been written in conjunction with the Society of Chief Officers of Transportation in Scotland (SCOTS) and provides further detail on each of these options. 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