Wales Introduces 20 Mph Default Speed Limit; First Country to Do So

First Minister of Wales Mark Drakeford speaks to Labour Party members during the launch of the Welsh Labour local government campaign, at Bridgend College, Wales, on April 5, 2022. Matthew Horwood/Getty Images

The new slower speed limits are currently being trialled in eight communities across Wales and will be rolled out nationally in September 2023, making it the first nation to impose it as the default on all restricted roads.

The Labour-run Welsh government led by Mark Drakeford announced on Tuesday that Parliament had passed a law (pdf) for a 20 mph speed limit that will come into force on all restricted roads.

Speed Limits

However, the opposition Conservative Shadow Minister called it “yet another diktat imposed by Labour from Cardiff Bay.”