Safer roads and community 20s
The Safer Roads and Community 20s initiative aims to improve road safety and public health by targeting speed reductions routes with existing safety concerns and a recorded history of casualties, as well as in areas where communities support change. By combining community insight with evidence-based analysis, the initiative delivers a more targeted and effective approach to speed management and casualty reduction.
Watch a short video about the scheme
The overarching objective of the initiative is to support improvements to road safety and public health. This is achieved through:
- The reduction of injuries
- Increased support for safer and more active travel behaviours
- Lowering noise and air pollution levels
- Fostering healthier neighbourhoods
Gloucestershire continues to face several traffic related public health challenges, including some longstanding poor air quality at urban pinch points, persistently high numbers of road casualties, and barriers to active travel resulting from safety concerns. These issues contribute to higher rates of injury, respiratory illness, reduced physical activity, and widening health inequalities, particularly in areas that are heavily car dependent or lack safe, accessible alternatives such as walking, cycling and public transport. Evidence of similar programmes being rolled out across the UK have identified wide-ranging benefits such as fewer fatalities and injuries on the road, more active communities and better air quality while having minimal impact on drivers’ journey times, and reductions in driving costs.
The implementation of the programme will be completed in total over a four-year period. £2 million public health funding, alongside a further £619,000 of road safety capital investment is allocated to the accident remedial programme in the council’s 2026/27 budget towards this initiative. Together this is anticipated to cover investment required for the first 2 years delivery of the Safer Roads and Communities 20s programme.