The UK Government has proposed allowing councils to introduce a 20mph speed limit over groups of streets without the need for speed humps.

If approved, the move will change the existing condition for councils to carry out the speed limit only in zones which require traffic calming measures.

Road Safety Minister Paul Clark said that allowing councils to put in place 20mph speed limits on more streets without speed humps or chicanes will mean that they can introduce them at a lower cost and with less inconvenience to local residents.

“We have seen that 20mph zones with traffic calming measures can make a real difference to the safety of local roads,” Clark said.

A recently published study by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine found that the 20mph speed limit imposed on London streets has brought down road fatalities by 40%.