Survey to check NOV wet speeds
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• A survey into whether HGV drivers are putting lives at risk by failing to slow down appropriately on wet roads is to be launched by the University of Wales College in Newport.
The research by Dr Julia Edwards follows a six-month survey of commuters on the M4 north of Cardiff. It found they were reducing their speed on wet roads by only 3mph—seven times less than that recommended in the Highway Code.
Edwards, who deliberately left trucks out of the survey, is anxious to find out if these results are replicated in the haulage industry She is calling on the Government to alert more drivers to the dangers of driving on wet roads by making greater use of message boards to flash warnings. No date for the HGV survey has yet been decided, but Edwards says it will happen "in the near future • Local councils will soon find it easier to impose 20mph speed limits. Around 350 20mph zones already exist in residential areas, but the councils concerned had to apply to the Transport Secretary for permission. The rules governing this procedure are set to be relaxed in the coming weeks.