What does the data show about the 20mph limit in Wales?

Wales changed the default limit on restricted roads, mostly residential streets, from 30mph to 20mph on 17 September 2023. In 2025 police recorded 3,004 road collisions and 4,078 casualties in Wales, casualties 8% lower than in 2022, the last full year before the change, according to the Welsh Government's road collisions and casualties 2025 release of 4 June 2026.

The release and its dashboard break collisions down by speed limit. Transport for Wales publishes monitoring reports on speeds and journey times, and DataMapWales shows which roads remain at 30mph.

Police recording changes affect the seriously injured series, so the Welsh Government advises caution with recent trends.

Official sources: Police recorded road collisions and casualties: 2025 · Transport for Wales 20mph monitoring reports · Welsh Government: default 20mph speed limits

The latest figure

The newest value is at Department for Transport (DfT). More on it: Road deaths (Great Britain).

When is the next figure out?

Provisional annual results in late May and final results in late July (30 July 2026 for 2025); the RAS0101 table gives its next update as July 2027. Table file URLs change with each update

Every official release due in the next two weeks is on the release calendar.

Terms used in this answer

• Correlation and causation
  Two things moving together (correlation) does not show that one causes the other (causation). Other factors, chance or reverse causation can explain the pattern.
• Calendar year
  January to December. Used for GDP annual totals, registered deaths and many international comparisons, unlike the April to March financial year.
• Administrative data
  Information collected by organisations while running a service, such as tax records, benefit claims or hospital activity, and then used to produce statistics.
• Great Britain and the United Kingdom
  Great Britain is England, Scotland and Wales. The United Kingdom is Great Britain plus Northern Ireland. Some statistics cover only one or the other.
• Rate per 100,000
  The number of events divided by the population and multiplied by 100,000, so areas of different sizes can be compared on a like-for-like basis.
• Provisional figures
  Early estimates published before all data are in, so users get timely figures. They are expected to be updated when later data arrive.

Related questions

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This answer says where the official figures are published and how they are defined. It gives no verdict on any claim. To report an error, send a correction request. More questions about wales: official figures: all Wales: official figures questions.