Speed Management Strategy

We'd like to hear your views on our Speed Management Strategy.

Supporting documents

• Speed management strategy 2026 (PDF 365KB)
• Speed management strategy improvement plan 2026 (PDF 143KB)
• Speed Management Strategy short version (PDF1.39MB)

Background

Road safety is a shared responsibility. Organisations such as the council, police and emergency services all have important roles, but the way people travel and the choices people make every day also shape how safe our places and journeys feel.

Speed plays a key part in this. It affects not only the likelihood of a crash, but also how severe the outcome may be. Small changes in speed can make a significant difference to whether people are killed, seriously injured, or survive unharmed. Speed also influences how roads and streets are experienced, including whether people feel comfortable walking, wheeling, cycling, riding or spending time in their local area.

We recognise that road environments are not all the same. Some streets are busy places with homes, shops, schools and higher levels of activity, while others are quieter rural roads and lanes with different characteristics and risks. In some places, current speed limits and how they are used may not fully reflect how the road is used or how safe people feel. This consultation is about a proposed new approach to managing speeds across Hertfordshire. The focus is on setting speeds that are safe and appropriate for the place and the people using it, rather than relying mainly on how fast people are currently choosing to travel.

Your views will help us understand where change is most needed, how different types of roads and streets should be treated, and how we prioritise action across the network.

There are no right or wrong answers, and you do not need technical knowledge. We are interested in your experience of using roads and streets in Hertfordshire, and how they feel to you. If you are responding on behalf of an organisation, please answer from that perspective.

If you would like to report a fault on the highway you can report a fault.

If you have any other highways concerns you can suggest an improvement.