Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the prevalence of speeding in rural areas in Hampshire; and what assessment she made of the potential impact of speeding on pedestrians and cyclists' usage of roads in rural areas in Hampshire.

The Department for Transport recognises that speeding in rural areas, including those in Hampshire, can have a significant impact on road safety and the confidence of vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists. While the Department has not conducted a specific assessment of prevalence of speeding or its impact on pedestrian and cyclist road usage in rural Hampshire, the latest statistics show there were 686 speed-related collisions in the county in 2023. This represents a slight increase from 660 in 2022. (Note: Rural-specific data isn’t available.)

The DfT issues best practice guidance on setting local speed limits. This is designed to make sure that speed limits are appropriately and consistently set, whilst allowing for flexibility to deal with local needs and circumstances.

The guidance can be viewed at the following link: www.gov.uk/government/publications/setting-local-speed-limits

The Government treats road safety seriously and is committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. To this end, my Department is developing its Road Safety Strategy and will set out more details in due course.