New 20mph speed limits could be introduced around schools in Torbay to make it safer for pupils.
Torbay Council said zones could be installed near six schools in Torquay, Paignton and Brixham on roads with a "high level of pedestrian to vehicle conflict". The council said 20mph limits had been proposed for residential roads with a "high volume of use by school children" and in urban areas to help "reduce accidents, cut noise, improve air quality and give drivers more time to react". If approved, the mandatory limits would be in operation at all times and enforced by the police.
The proposed zones are near the following schools: All Saints Babbacombe Primary School, Torquay; Collaton St Mary Church of England Primary School, Paignton; Ellacombe Church of England Academy, Torquay; Mayfield Chestnut Centre, Brixham; South Devon College, Torbay; and St Marychurch Church of England Primary and Nursery School, Torquay.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service said some drivers had called for the limits to be enforced during term time only, but the council said school facilities were used by adults and children outside of school hours and in the holidays.
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents has backed 20mph speed limits close to schools. It said there was a "clear link between lowering vehicle speeds and a significant reduction in casualties". It added that 20mph limits combined with speed humps were the most effective measure and advised drivers to treat speed limits as a "maximum, not a target".
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Torbay Council Proposes 20mph Speed Limits Near Schools