Andrew Hitchon made some interesting comments in Tuesday’s Press on the subject of 20 mph zones in the city. While there is a need on many side roads and selected sections of through routes, the cost and practicality of enforcement with the blanket application of the restriction is questionable.

In Wheldrake, the parish council has made several requests to the city council for one short section of road, part of which is single lane, to have the 20 mph restriction. This would extend the existing school 20 zone up to the village hall. The clear need for this is that the hall is used every day in term time by play groups and the Out of School Club. The existing de-restriction sign (30 to 60) is located almost immediately beyond the entrance which encourages drivers to accelerate well before that point.

The city council have decided they must carry out an expensive traffic survey to justify the need.

David Randon, Chairman, Wheldrake Parish Council, Blue Slates Close, Wheldrake, York.

 

• There is no argument that if struck at 20 mph you are less likely to suffer fatal injury than if struck at 40 mph.

We are told pedestrians and cyclists feel safer in 20 mph limits and it encourages more cycling and walking. The problem is it encourages less careful walking and cycling. Perhaps pedestrians should feel unsafe in the road as feeling unsafe encourages more care.

Perhaps the 20 mph brigade can answer me one question. As a collision investigator why is it I have currently four cases where pedestrians walked into roads without looking (caught on CCTV) and sustained very serious head injury, yet not one vehicle involved was travelling more than 15 mph and two were under 10 mph?

M J Natt, Orchard Close, York.