Green Party proposal could cut road deaths by 75%

The 2009 council budget saw Katie Dawson get her proposals for 20mph zones in residential streets in the borough finally accepted by the council.  Katie has been fighting for this measure ever since she was elected, supported by the local “Twenty’s Plenty”  campaign.

Her proposal for a default 20mph speed limit across Islington was blocked by the Liberal Democrats in December 2008, making the victory in March 2009 even sweeter.  However, limits in residential roads is just a start; the Green Party is now campaigning to get 20mph limits included on key main arteries as well - such as Blackstock Rd, Highbury Grove and Highbury Park

20mph zones save lives and money by turning serious accidents into minor ones, or avoiding them altogether. The council’s own figures suggest the Green Party’s proposal to extend these benefits to all Islington residents will avoid over 300 hundred serious accidents over the next three years and save at least five lives.

Drivers will also gain. GLA studies have shown that with a 20mph limit, traffic flows more smoothly, reducing fuel consumption (and pollution) by vehicles.