New speed limit cut just doesn’t add up

I have just read the July edition of Connexion , where there is comment about the reduction of the speed limit on ordinary roads outside town from 90kph to 80kph.

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While the arrival of President Emmanuel Macron has been a breath of fresh air, he obviously has not done his homework on this idea. The apparent motivation is to save lives.

But I have not seen any figures or evidence that this is likely. Road deaths have tended to drop over the 120 years of motoring in both France and Britain in spite of increased traffic.

The populations of Britain and France are fairly similar and therefore, in all probability, the number of road vehicles.

Road death numbers do not seem to be well documented on the internet but, as from 2010, the total in Britain has been below 2,000 p.a. A rather more precise figure in France for 2017 was 3,693 with an estimated slight reduction in 2018.

Yet, on such roads, in Britain, the speed limit is 60mph, or 97kph! So a drop in deaths is unlikely to result. What is certain is that there will be increased pollution and reduced productivity.

Rowland KENNARD, Pas-de-Calais

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