Transport for London’s (TfL) own drivers are being caught out by new speed limits throughout the capital, forcing to the organisation to step in…
TfL Drivers Caught Out By New Speed Limits
TfL is having to fit a third of its van fleet with speed limiters, due to drivers being caught out by new speed limits. Some 4,000 of its workers have authorisation to drive its 800-strong fleet; which is mainly used to transport equipment to work stations throughout the city.
Much of the work, and associated travel, takes place late at night. Unfortunately, it quickly became apparent that many drivers were running afoul of reduced speed limits; introduced by TfL to improve road safety in the capital. Most were caught at speeds between 30 – 40 mph, when the new limits are set at 20 mph.
Speed Limiters to the Rescue
Tim Dawes, fleet compliance manager at TfL, commented on the situation. He said, “a lot of the London area is now limited to 20mph. Telematics data showed that many speeding incidents involved drivers travelling around 32mph. So, it was clear they were trying to stick to a 30mph limit when, in fact, they were in a 20mph limit”.
In order to address the problem, speed limiters are being installed in vehicles. Dawes explained, “we’ve retrofitted intelligent speed assistance, provided by a company called Sturdy to 360 of the vehicles. It’s a GPS-based system which limits the vehicles to road’s speed limit”. The tech has been installed in 330 vehicles, but Dawes would like the whole fleet to be covered – assuming funding can be secured.
Regardless, more cynical observers might ask why TfL’s own safety initiatives are lost on its very own employees; and whether drivers who run afoul of the new 20 mph limits will be allowed, at least initially to plead ignorance.
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