Transport for London (TfL) is to introduce 40 miles of new 20mph speed limits as it also launches a new road safety campaign to tackle speeding.

The new speed limits will be introduced in stages over the last four months of 2023

Speed limits will be lowered within the Royal Borough of Greenwich, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, Lewisham, Southwark, Wandsworth, Merton, Bromley and Lambeth.

The new speed limits will be introduced in stages over the last four months of 2023 and will be supported by new signs and road markings.

TfL is also working closely with the Metropolitan Police Service to ensure that drivers understand and comply with the new lower speed limits.

Analysis by TfL on areas where the speed limit has been reduced indicated that the number of collisions fell 25% and collisions resulting in death or serious injury dropped 24%.

Its new campaign aims to challenge socially accepted driving norms by prompting drivers to re-evaluate their perception of what counts as speeding, particularly in lower speed limit roads (20/30mph). The initiative aims to change driver behaviour by showing them that driving even slightly over the speed limit can still have devastating consequences, particularly on those who walk, cycle and ride a motorcycle and who are the most likely to be impacted by a speed-related collision.

The campaign launches on radio and outdoor posters, with a new TV advert launching in October in the lead up to Road Safety Week (19-25 Nov), where this year’s theme is speed.

TfL is also working with the Met Police to increase clampdowns on drivers and riders who speed. The Met enforced around 620,000 speeding offences committed in 2022-23, an increase of 35% compared to the previous year, and is on track to tackle a million speeding offences by 2024-5.

Walking and Cycling Commissioner Will Norman said: “Every death or serious injury on our streets is devastating, bringing heartache and tragedy to all those involved so we will continue to work with TfL, the Met Police and London’s boroughs to make it easier and safer for people to walk, cycle and use public transport, creating a safer, greener London for everyone.”