THERE are plans afoot to bring in a speed limit of 20mph in residential areas.

One imagines Jeremy Clarkson and fellow petrol-heads would call it a killjoy move. I hope they are in a minority.

It’s stating the obvious, but residential areas are places where people live, and where the interests of the motorist must take second place to those of pedestrians, cyclists, the very young and the elderly.

I hope this becomes law. It will save lives.

A trade-off would be to de-restrict motorways. Speed kills anywhere, but the 70mph limit on motorways has long been a nonsense; the majority of cars are designed to travel comfortably at 80-plus mph.

If you choose to travel on a motorway, you should accept the extra risk to your own and others’ safety and be allowed to bowl irresponsibly along like they do on the Continent.