Oxfordshire County Council has approved plans to implement three additional 20mph zones within the region.

During the session on Thursday, April 23, council representatives voted on three separate expansions of 20mph speed restrictions throughout the county.

These measures will take effect starting at 5pm on April 28, pending any potential call-in procedures.

Members have given the green light to extending the current 20mph speed restriction along Old Road in Forest Hill.

A portion of this roadway, which previously operated at 60mph, will now be converted to a 20mph zone as part of the countywide initiative to implement lower speed limits.

Additionally, council members have approved establishing a 20mph speed limit in Brightwell Baldwin, utilizing the Vision Zero framework.

The Vision Zero initiative aims to eradicate fatalities and serious injuries resulting from traffic incidents on Oxfordshire’s roads, with local communities permitted to request the creation of 20mph zones.

In February 2022, the Cabinet allocated funding of up to £8,000,000 for 20mph implementation, ensuring that town and parish councils incur no expenses for these measures.

The council additionally ratified extending the existing 20mph speed limit on the southern section of Green Lane in Chesterton, also under the Vision Zero program.

This action follows Oxfordshire County Council’s announcement that 2024 experienced an 11% rise in fatalities and serious injuries on roads compared to the previous year.

The county recorded a combined total of 1,068 casualties throughout 2024.