A DORSET road safety chief has cautiously welcomed proposals that would cut the speed limit on rural roads to 50mph.
A drop from the current limit of 60mph could help save 250 lives a year, claims research from the Department of Transport.
Drivers are three times as likely to die per mile driven on rural roads as on urban roads.
Tim Westwood, Dorset County Council’s traffic manager, said that with large swathes of the county connected by classic tight-and-twisty rural roads, a slashing of the limit could save lives.
He said: “In rural areas our roads historically have relatively poor alignment.
“As the drop in speed limit would be mainly a safety measure, we would be fairly supportive.”
Mr Westwood said the A35 between Bere Regis and the Baker’s arms – a notorious accident blackspot –had already seen a reduction to a 50mph limit along parts of it.
But the road has also been the subject of major engineering works to improve visibility at junctions and road layout.
Mr Westwood said: “Dropping the limit is by no means the only answer. Driver awareness and education is also crucial. On rural roads you might come up against tractors or other slow-moving vehicles, so you have to adapt.”
The average speed on 60mph rural roads has been found to be only 48mph in free-flowing conditions.
Edmund King, president of the AA, said a 60mph limit may be appropriate for well-designed rural roads, but that lowering the limit could cause frustration and raise the risk of dangerous overtaking.
The Institute of Advanced Motorists said a 50mph speed limit would not command respect unless drivers could see a clear link to risk.
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