Labour

Ministers must drop their blind spot on road safety if 80mph speed limits are to be approved - Maria Eagle

Labour will back a change to variable speed limits, allowing them to increase to 80mph as well as decrease below 70mph as currently permitted, as a safer alternative to the Government’s proposed blanket increase in motorway speed limits.

Labour’s support for allowing speeds of up to 80mph in certain conditions is dependent on the Government agreeing to three tests:

1. Setting tough rules on what constitutes breaking the new speed limit to avoid 'speed creep' and an ever higher de facto limit with new guidance to ACPO;
2. Reviewing the use of the new variable limit after 12 months and report back to Parliament before it becomes permanent;
3. Restoring the national targets to cut deaths and serious injuries on Britain's roads, axed by the Government after the election.

While backing over £6bn of cuts to the DfT budget (two thirds of the government's planned reduction), Labour has opposed the decisions to axe Road Safety funding of £148m across the spending period.
 
Maria Eagle MP, Labour's Shadow Transport Secretary, said:

"We will not oppose an increase in the motorway speed limit to 80mph in certain circumstances provided Ministers drop their blind spot on road safety. However, rather than the blanket rise proposed by the Government, the right way to implement this policy is to extend variable speed limits to allow increases as well as decreases depending on local circumstances such as traffic flow and weather conditions.
 
"Any new limit must be strictly applied with no speed creep allowing the de facto limit to head towards 90mph and Ministers must explain how they will enforce it at a time of cuts to the police. At the same time the Government must reverse their reckless decisions to axe road safety funding and restore national targets for cutting deaths and serious injuries on Britain's roads."