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Session 2002 - 03
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Other Bills before Parliament

Road Safety Bill


Road Safety Bill

    1

 

A

Bill

To

Provide local traffic authorities with powers to develop urban safety

hierarchies; to identify 20 mph zones and Home Zones; to require the

Secretary of State to issue guidance on the setting of speed limits; and for

connected purposes.                                                                            

Be it enacted by the Queen’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and

consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present

Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—

 1     Urban safety hierarchy

     (1)    There shall be a new classification of speed limits in urban areas to be known

as the urban safety hierarchy.

     (2)    This hierarchy will set maximum speeds for different roads based on the

existing or desired function of the road.

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     (3)    Local traffic authorities shall have the power to review urban roads for which

they are the traffic authority and to declare them distributor, access or

residential roads.

     (4)    Local traffic authorities shall have the power to review the residential roads for

which they are responsible and to declare certain of them home zones.

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     (5)    Access and residential roads shall, under the terms of the hierarchy, have

speed limits no higher than 20 mph.

     (6)    Local authorities shall have the power to implement speed orders in Homes

Zones of no higher than 10 mph.

     (7)    In making declarations under subsections (3) and (4), local traffic authorities

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shall consult such individuals and organisations as they think fit.

     (8)    In making such declarations, local traffic authorities must consider such

guidance as is issued by the Secretary of State.

 
Bill 132 53/2
 
 

Road Safety Bill

    2

 

 2     Guidance from the Secretary of State

     (1)    Within six months of this Act coming into force, the Secretary of State shall

issue new guidance for the setting of urban speed limits, having regard to the

results of research and current experience of implementation of urban speed

limits.

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     (2)    In compiling the guidance under subsection (1), the Secretary of State shall

consult such individuals and organisations as he thinks fit.

     (3)    It shall be the duty of the Secretary of State to monitor and evaluate from time

to time the implementation of the urban safety hierarchy and home zones

having regard to reductions in road casualties, increases in walking and

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cycling and improvements in air and environmental quality.

     (4)    A copy of any evaluation under subsection (3) shall be laid before both Houses

of Parliament.

 3     Short, title, extent and commencement

     (1)    This Act may be cited as the Road Safety Act 2003.

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     (2)    Sections 1 and 2 of this Act shall come into force on the day on which it is

passed.

     (3)    This Act extends to England, Scotland and Wales.

 

 
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Revised 30 June 2003