Reacting to the Welsh Government’s reversion of its 20mph speed limit on certain local roads, RAC road safety spokesperson Rod Dennis said: “This decision will please a great many drivers in Wales, but it’s a shame so many roads that should have always remained at 30mph were unnecessarily converted to 20mph.

“More public money now needs to be spent changing signs back at time when funds are already stretched. We are very supportive of 20mph limits being implemented in places where there’s a greater presence of pedestrians and cyclists as they are proven to reduce road casualties, but when used on roads that are clearly better suited to 30mph, there’s a risk drivers don’t obey the limit and their effectiveness is undermined.

“Among those who admit to speeding on 20mph roads, RAC research shows half (50%) of drivers say they do so because they feel the limit is inappropriate. This compares to just 28% of drivers who say they exceed the 30mph limit for the same reason.”