Reducing vehicle speeds can help to:
- reduce the likelihood and severity of collisions
- encourage more walking and cycling
- sustain local shops and businesses
- make communities more pleasant places to live.
However, the desire for lower speeds has to be balanced against the need for reasonable journey times and the position of the road within the county council's Strategic Priority Network.
We aim to set speed limits that take the above factors into account and allow vehicles to travel at an appropriate speed for the main use of the road.
Our policy on setting local speed limits can be downloaded from the bottom of this page. The policy explains the roles, responsibilities and the procedure that will be followed when deciding whether to change a speed limit. The policy also provides advice and guidance on the factors and additional supporting measures that may be needed to successfully manage vehicle speeds.
How can I request a change to the speed limit?
Please fill out a speed limit change request form. If you have any difficulties with the forms, please use our contact details to get in touch via phone or by post.
What happens once I submit the request?
We receive many requests for safety improvements or changes to the highway, such as speed limit changes. These changes can be costly, and take some time to be implemented due to the various steps involved. Please see our page on making a request for highway improvements which explains how this works in more detail.