NEW figures on accident rates prove a city-wide 20mph rule will not make York safer, opponents have claimed.

City of York Council plans to roll out the lower speed limits on all residential streets by the end of next year, with areas in the west of the city – including Acomb, Holgate, Dringhouses, Westfield and Woodthorpe – next in line.

But York Central Liberal Democrats said details obtained through the Freedom of Information Act show 335 of the 383 accidents in west York over the last five years – 87 per cent – were on roads where speeds will not change.

Only 48 happened on streets earmarked for a 20mph limit, and 39 of these were classed as slight.

The party, which has said 20mph should be concentrated on streets with the worst accident rates rather than a blanket approach, said 95 accidents happened on roads whose existing 20mph limits were enforced through speed humps during this time.

Westfield resident and former council leader Steve Galloway said in a formal objection to the Labour-controlled authority that the statistics undermined claims widespread lower limits would improve safety and raised “value for money” questions.

Mr Galloway said: “The speed of traffic in the areas which would be affected by an area-wide 20mph limit is already low and the introduction of 20mph signs on lampposts, at an estimated £500,000 cost, will have no practical effect.

“What is now clear is that the limit may actually make our roads less safe. The council should concentrate its limited resources on those roads which have high accident levels and where average traffic speeds are above the 30mph limit.”

The west York roads with the worst accident records over the five-year period were Tadcaster Road (48), Boroughbridge Road (33) and Holgate Road (30).

Coun Dave Merrett, cabinet member for transport, said the 20mph scheme was aimed at “changing driving behaviour in residential streets”, adding: “Our proposals are designed to improve the environment and encourage walking and cycling, reducing speeds and potentially, accidents.

“A city-wide residential area 20mph limit is also far cheaper and much more understandable than simply progressively adding to the current patchwork of extremely expensive and often unpopular humped 20mph zones, which Mr Galloway favours.”