Conservative Senedd member for the Vale of Glamorgan and Bridgend Andrew RT Davies has repeated his calls for Plaid Cymru’s 20mph policy to be scrapped, after data showed deaths on Welsh roads have increased.
Mr Davies said the statistics proved the policy, which made 20mph the default speed limit on all restricted roads in Wales, was not improving road safety.
A total of 91 people will killed on Welsh roads last year – representing a 9% increase on 2024.
An assessment carried out before the 20mph policy was implemented found it could cost the Welsh economy up to £9 billion.
Mr Davies said this would take money from the NHS, potentially putting lives at risk. and added, “Plaid Cymru separatists voted for the 20mph policy; despite knowing it would cost the Welsh economy up to £9 billion.
“With deaths up on Welsh roads while the policy has been in force, its road safety benefits are in serious doubt.
“Plaid must scrap the 20mph policy and fund our NHS.”
Government statistics from police forces in Wales showed;
- There has been an overall decrease in road collisions recorded by police in Wales over the last thirty years.
- In 2025, there were 3,004 police reported road collisions in Wales resulting in 4,078 casualties.
- Casualties have increased by 2% compared to 2024 and are 8% lower than in 2022 (the last calendar year before the 20mph default speed limit was introduced).
- Of the 4,078 casualties, 91 were killed, 1,116 people were seriously injured and 2,871 people were slightly injured.
- Police in Wales recorded a total of 3,004 road collisions, an increase of 3% compared to 2024, and 9% lower than in 2022. Over the same period, road traffic in Wales increased by 2% to the highest level ever recorded in Wales.
- Of the 3,004 collisions, 83 were classed as fatal collisions, 979 were serious and 1,942 were classed as slight.
