London's new 10mph speed limit — can you get there faster on foot?

Key Concepts:

• 10 mph speed limit
• Speed gun
• Roadworks
• Islington Council
• Average driver speed
• Cyclist speed
• Pedestrian speed

Enforcement of 10 mph Speed Limit Near Smithfield Market

This video documents an investigation into the effectiveness of a 10 mph speed limit imposed by Islington Council near Smithfield Market during roadworks. The primary objective was to measure actual vehicle speeds and assess compliance with this significantly reduced limit.

Speed Gun Measurements and Observations

Using a speed gun, the presenter recorded the speeds of passing vehicles. The findings indicated a consistent disregard for the 10 mph limit:

• Initial readings showed speeds of 18 mph, 14 mph, 16 mph, and 17 mph.
• One vehicle was recorded at 21 mph.
• After approximately 15 minutes of observation, no drivers were observed adhering to the 10 mph limit or below.
• The average speed of drivers observed was approximately 14 mph.

Illustrating the Slowness of 10 mph

To provide a tangible understanding of how slow 10 mph is, a keen runner named Oscar was enlisted. Oscar demonstrated that maintaining a pace of 10 mph is achievable on foot, highlighting the extreme slowness of this speed for motorized transport.

Comparison of Travel Times: Car vs. Foot

The experiment implicitly raises the question of whether a 10 mph speed limit could, paradoxically, allow pedestrians to reach their destinations quicker than vehicles. The demonstration with Oscar suggests that this is indeed possible, as he could comfortably maintain a speed that vehicles were failing to adhere to.

Analysis of Compliance and Practicality

The observations suggest that while drivers were generally traveling below the borough's standard limit of 20 mph, the 10 mph limit was perceived as excessively slow and difficult to maintain, even for cyclists. The data collected indicates a significant gap between the imposed speed limit and actual driver behavior.

Conclusion

The investigation concludes that the 10 mph speed limit implemented by Islington Council near Smithfield Market during roadworks is proving to be extremely difficult for drivers and even cyclists to adhere to. The observed speeds consistently exceeded the limit, with the average driver speed being around 14 mph. The experiment with Oscar effectively illustrated the impracticality of such a low speed for motorized traffic, suggesting that pedestrians might even be able to travel faster under these conditions.