20mph speed limit will cause 'confusion, chaos and mayhem' according to driving instructor

Motorists across Wales have been navigating the new 20mph limit with many venting their frustration.

Stuart Walker, a driving instructor and consultant with SWT Driver and Training Consultancy has 35 years experience in the sector. He believes the changes are going to cause gridlock at rush hour.

Just 24-hours after the roll out he took his first work journey under the new measures and found himself caught up in traffic heading to Hightown, Wrexham. Stuart had to take a detour to get out of it. He believes the blanket speed limit is going to destroy lorry driving test routes and says the 20mph limit has made drivers 'angry' which he believes 'will not improve road safety'.

Stuart believes road safety initiatives need 'full public support' and that the blanket limit has 'not got that'. He thinks the Welsh Government needs to see for itself how a lorry performs at 20mph. All lorries are automatic and he claims it's going to cause problems.

Stuart said: "When we are turning or driving our lorries cyclists now will be coming out of the inside or the left-hand side or near-side of the lorry which means turning left is going to be very dangerous. Both cyclist and lorry drivers have to be very concerned about manoeuvring lorries.

"If we go up a steep hill and we can only approach at 20mph the gear box is going to change gear up and down, up and down, and we are going to lose a lot of speed. We are going to cause confusion, chaos and mayhem."

Stuart fully supports 20mph speed limits outsides schools across Wales but he does not believe every street should be changed to the lower limit. He said: "It will still be too fast for a small number of streets and it is going to be totally inappropriate for a larger number of streets."

One of the key drivers of the Welsh Government policy is helping reduce the number of people requiring hospital treatment following road traffic collisions. Stuart acknowledges 'impact speeds are important' but added, 'a new road safety initiative must be done sensibly.'

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