Crashes fall by a third after Edinburgh's 20mph limit introduced

The 20mph restriction on most streets in Edinburgh was introduced in 2018

Vehicle crashes in Edinburgh fell by about a third in the two years after the speed limit was lowered to 20mph in most of the city.

Research found the average monthly number of road traffic collisions dropped from 95 in 2016 to 64 in 2018.

The speed limit in the capital was dropped from 30mph on the majority of streets.

However, the rate had also more than halved over the two decades prior to that - from a high of 165 in 1997.

The researchers from the University of St Andrews found the trend changed around the time of the 20mph limit introduction - from a "slow-decreasing" state to a "fast- decreasing" state.

'Cultural shift'

They said the data "provided compelling evidence that a structural change occurred leading to a further decline in the rates of collisions".

Dr Valentin Popov, of the school of mathematics and statistics at the university, said: "We have reasons to believe that the 20mph policy was effective, at least in the short-term.

"This shows that 20mph limits are worth considering in cities where there is a concerted will to reduce road traffic collisions and make roads safer for users."

However, Dr Popov added the decline may also be due to a cultural shift rather than directly attributable only to the new lower limit.

The research was published in the Environment and Planning B journal.