Gateshead Speed Management Plan (SMP)

In this section

• SMP vision
• SMP policy
• Responsibility for the plan
• Aims
• Safe Systems Approach (SSA)
• Funding
• Scheme identification and prioritisation of works
• General principles / good practice
• How speed is assessed

Speed Management Policy 

Speed limits shall be introduced in a manner consistent with current government guidance and exceptions to usual practice will be recorded and justified as a departure from standard. 

The introduction of speed management measures whether based on speed limits, engineering, education or enforcement will only be considered where it can be demonstrated that they meet and contribute to the: 

• Speed Management Plan vision and core aims
• North East Transport Plan Goals - specifically those relating to road and community safety and climate change 
• Gateshead Council's Thrive Agenda 
• Take into account relevant regulations, best practice, the needs of all highway users and local experience 
• Are consistent with Gateshead Council's Network Management Plan. 

Responsibility for the plan 

We, as Highways Authority, are responsible for the setting of speed limits and the management of speed on all public roads in Gateshead (except the A1 and A194(M), which are maintained by National Highways. 

The police are responsible for the enforcement of speed limits. 

Aims 

The continuing development of a SMP for Gateshead is closely linked to our Thrive Agenda. 

• Thrive Agenda- Access to employment, shops, leisure and services by all modes of transport safely, affordably and efficiently. Reducing road safety fears, especially among more vulnerable people. 

The core aims of the SMP are to: 

• reduce the incidence of inappropriate speed on Gateshead's roads; 
• achieve significant reductions in the number of personal injury accidents occurring on the highway as a result of excessive or inappropriate speed; 
• reduce the severity of road accidents that do occur; 

Increase levels of speed limit compliance; 

• Reduce community severance (when traffic or infrastructure acts as a barrier through an area, for example a busy road separating a residential area from local shops); 
• Contribute towards creating more attractive environments in which to live and work; 
• Encourage the use of sustainable modes of transport
• Adapt to changes in technology. 

The remainder of this document will focus on how the we will set about achieving these aims. 

A Safe Systems Approach (SSA) 

This Strategy will be based around the Safe Systems Approach (SSA) to road safety, which is centred on the principle that life and health should not be compromised by our need to travel. A SSA was identified as a key national priority in the government's British Road Safety Review (2015). It recognises that humans can make mistakes and that there is a shared responsibility amongst stakeholders when attempting to prevent collisions, and in ensuring that accidents do not result in death or serious injury. 

We, as Highways Authority, will contribute to a SSA through a variety of measures set out below and will work with other stakeholders in improving the SSA. Of the five key pillars of action typically forming part of an SSA we have a clear link to three of the five strands (bold) as follows; 

1. Safe road use- education and enforcement. 
2. Safe vehicles- not part of this Strategy 
3. Safe speeds - setting of speed limits and use of engineering measures to encourage compliance 
4. Safe roads and roadsides- engineering and maintenance 
5. Post crash response- Mainly linked to emergency services and health care but could be linked to the review of accidents statistics, and the response to fatal accidents. 

Funding 

Transport and highways improvement works, including those linked to road safety engineering schemes, are largely undertaken using central government capital funding received through the Local Transport Plan Integrated Transport block. Schemes are typically identified in line with the objectives of the North East Transport Plan (approved in 2021), and are set out within three themes; 

• Safe and Sustainable Communities 
• Climate Change 
• Economic Development 

Speed management schemes will largely fall within the first category but may also form part of wider schemes falling in other categories. 

The LTP capital funding is supplemented where possible through other sources of external funding such as specific bids to central government and its departments and through developer contributions linked to planning approvals. However, such opportunities are rarely linked specifically to speed management or road safety. 

Identification and prioritisation of works 

Works will be prioritised where possible, in line with Table 1 below. Works will be incorporated into the our transport capital programme using the annual traffic management budget (<£10k), as an independent scheme (>£10k) or as part of a wider scheme. Where works are identified as being urgent and cannot be accommodated within the available budget they will be carried out as an agreed overspend or through the postponement of other less urgent works. 

Where more than one location is identified as requiring intervention within the same category the overall number of accidents, accident rate and accident severity will be taken into consideration when prioritising which to undertake first. 

As recommended in DfT Circular 01/13 we will also draw upon the methods set out in the Transport Research Laboratory guidance Accident Analysis on Rural Roads: A Technical Guide (2004) when assessing the need for intervention and prioritisation of schemes on rural roads. However, as acknowledged in the document it is not intended to completely replace local expertise and judgement. 

Table 1 - Framework of timescales and types of treatment for speed management issues 

*Assessed in relation to table 2 

** When compared to other links/junctions of a similar type and flows 

*** May involve temporary works until more permanent measures can be undertaken due to scale/cost of works 

General principles 

Speed limits should be evidence-led and self-explaining and seek to reinforce people's assessment of what is a safe speed to travel. They should encourage self-compliance and be regarded as the maximum rather than the target speed. 

The minimum length of a speed limit should generally be not less than 600 metres and regular changes to speed limit on a single stretch of road will be avoided where possible to prevent confusion. In exceptional circumstances the minimum length will be reduced to 300m but only in conjunction with lower speed limits. 

The signed maximum speed limit is not an indication of a safe speed to drive, which can be influenced by factors such as road geometry, weather conditions and the like. 

Speed limits should not be set in isolation or used to solve an isolated problem but should form part of a package of measures. 

Roads should be designed so that mistakes made by road users (within the law) do not result in death or serious injury. 

The overall speed limit framework, including the setting of national limits, is the responsibility of the government. The three national speed limits are: 

• 30mph- on roads with a network of street lighting (restricted roads) 
• 60mph- on single carriageway roads 
• 70mph- on dual carriageways and motorways 

Local authorities must prescribe speed limits at or below these national limits based upon local need. 

Implementation of speed limits and other engineering measures will be undertaken in conjunction with relevant guidance and legislation, which includes: 

• Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016 (TSRGD) 
• Traffic Advisory Leaflets (TAL) 
• Road Hump/Traffic calming Regulations (1999) 
• Design Manual for roads and bridges (DMRB) 

How speed is assessed

We will use 85th percentile and average speeds when setting speed limits and assessing the need for engineering measures. In free flow conditions 85th percentile speeds and average speeds should be closely linked, with any significant difference indicating uncertainty amongst highway users of the appropriate speed to travel. 

The 85th percentile speed is the speed below which 85% of motorists are travelling. The 85th percentile approach acknowledges the speed at which the vast majority of drivers feel is an appropriate speed to travel. It discounts the highest 15% of drivers which typically fall within the category of excessive speeders as identified by RoSPA (see para 1.22). 

We will utilise permanent speed monitoring sites where available and in other locations will commission independent specialist contractors to carry out speed surveys. These will typically be seven day surveys undertaken outside of holiday periods and other periods such as during road works or severe weather, which could influence results. 

Intervention may be required where the criteria set out in table 2 apply:- 

Table 2 - Speed scenarios and methods of identification

Table 3 - Speed limit and thresholds above which recorded speeds are considered high 

2.27 Where investigations into speeding identify a problem one of the following approaches will be taken in tackling the issue; 

• Single site action- dealing with a site-specific problem 
• Mass action- addressing all locations with the same issue 
• Area action- focusing of action into an area of the borough  Route treatment- tackling an accident problem on a specific route 

Review of speed limits 

Whilst the SMP has not been updated since the DfT circular was released in 2013 the guidance has provided the basis for speed limit assessments and changes during that time. This plan formalises the our approach to speed management in relation to the 2013 circular. 

The review of all speed limits in Gateshead and implementation of any changes resulting from the 2013 circular is however an extensive task, requiring significant resources. Speed limits will not therefore be routinely reviewed other than in the case of 20mph limits for which there is an ongoing programme of works.

Other speed limits will only be reviewed in the following circumstances; 

• As part of a wider highway scheme 
• Following a fatal accident (coroner recommendation or engineer assessment) 
• Following a series of serious or slight accidents linked to speed 
• As a result of MP, Council Member or Emergency Service request 
• Following receipt of a petition (in accordance with our petition scheme). 
• At the request of a neighbouring Local Authority 
• When linked to new development 2.30

When assessing and making decisions on local speed limits and the need for engineering measures, the following factors will typically be considered; 

• history of collisions, including frequency, severity, types and causes
• road geometry and engineering (for example, width, sight lines, bends, junctions, accesses and safety barriers)
•  road function (for example, strategic, through traffic, local access) 
• composition of road users (including existing and potential levels of vulnerable road users) 
• existing traffic speeds 
• road environment, including level of road-side development and possible impacts on residents (for example, severance, noise, or air quality). 

While the above factors need to be considered for all road types, they may be weighted differently in urban and rural areas. The impact on community and environmental outcomes should also be considered.

Where the appropriate speed limit is in dispute or the benefits are unclear, the DfT speed limit appraisal tool may be used to help identify the appropriate speed limit and the cost benefit of any change. However, there are limitations to this tool and not all scenarios are covered. We may in those circumstances decide that there are specific local characteristics which the tool cannot allow for. 

Any review of speed limits will not encompass the A1 or A194(M). These trunk roads are the responsibility of National Highways rather than us. We will however liaise with National Highways when changes to speed limit are proposed on roads which connect directly to the HE network. They will similarly consult with neighbouring authorities on any speed limit changes affecting cross boundary connections. 

The underlying aim of any speed management works undertaken by us should be to achieve a safe distribution of speeds. 

In most cases simply changing a speed limit through signage and a legal order will not be sufficient in delivering speed reduction and will only be appropriate where existing speeds already conform to a lower limit.