Kirkcaldy 20 mph Speed Limit

Overview

Kirkcaldy 20mph speed limit proposals

The Scottish Government published a Road Safety Framework which sets out a vision for Scotland to have the best road safety performance in the world by 2030 and a compelling long-term vision for road safety, Vision Zero, where there are zero fatalities and serious injuries on Scotland's roads by 2050.  More information here

Setting speed limits contributes to this vision, and Fife Council have adopted the national policy to introduce 20 mph speed limits in all our towns and villages. This includes Kirkcaldy and we are keen to share our proposals with you. Please see the list of locations and attached location plans showing the proposals for Kirkcaldy which can be made available in print on request.

• Kirkcaldy - proposed 20mph location plans (pdf)

Why are we doing this?

Newer proactive approaches to road safety are based on a safe system approach which concentrates on survivable speeds and reflects the mobility needs of vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians and cyclists, prioritising people and their safety. A safe system approach acknowledges that humans are fallible and make mistakes, or errors in judgement, due to our limitations. A safe road system must be designed to accommodate the needs of people using it and mitigate for their limitations. If you hit someone at 30 mph, they're 7 times more likely to die than at 20 mph.

Transport Scotland have led on a strategy for introducing 20 mph speed limits on all Scottish roads that meet a criteria. Fife Council have adopted this national strategy and are busy implementing speed limit changes across Fife (speed limit reductions have already been introduced in many towns including St Andrews, Rosyth, and Falkland). This safe system approach is backed by leading road safety expects, politicians, and policy makers in Scotland, the UK, and across the globe.

Road Safety Scotland have set up a Frequently Asked Questions webpage that will answer some questions you may have:

As most people are busy it is understandable that travel times are important. An evaluation by the Department for Transport into the effectiveness of sign only 20 mph limits shows that journey times are estimated to have increased by 3% in residential areas and 5% in city centre areas. This adds less than half a minute to a two-mile trip and less than a minute to a five-mile trip. Therefore it is anticipated that any adverse impacts on travel times in Kirkcaldy would be minimal.

We value the safety of all our road users including you and your loved ones. These proposals will help contribute to making our roads safer for all.

Why your views matter

Reduced speed limits in Kirkcaldy will help to improve your quality of life and safety. We have assessed all roads in Kirkcaldy, however if there are streets you feel we have missed on our proposals we would be keen to hear from you.

Throughout Europe significant reductions in road casualties are being reported in areas where reduced speed limits have been implemented. If you would like to share how you feel the speed limit proposals will affect you or feedback on the proposals we would like to hear from you.

These proposals will require a statutory period where people can formally write expressions of support or objection to them - if this is of interest to you, look out for notices on-street, in the local paper and online at www.fife.gov.uk/notices later this year.