§ Mr. HunterTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what criteria highway authorities are instructed to take into consideration when determining traffic speed limits in the vicinity of schools.
§ Mr. KeyRevised guidance was issued to local authorities in January 1993, setting out the general principles recommended in setting local speed limits. This places more emphasis on the environment, including for example the presence of a school, through which the road passes and less on the need for an accident record on the road in question. Trials are also being conducted on some trunk and local authority roads of variable speed limits outside schools, whereby the limit can be temporarily reduced at arrival and departure times; if these trials show that the variable limits are successful in reducing vehicle speeds and accidents, they may be introduced more widely.