ALMOST 2,000 lives a year could be saved in the UK alone if the EU adopted 20MPH speed limits in all residential areas, Green Party MEP Jean Lambert said today.

In a statement to mark Road Safety Week Ms Lambert said speed limits should be reduced wherever people live, to reduce injuries and fatalities, traffic noise, air pollution – and CO2 emissions.

“The number of people dying on British roads is on the increase,” she said.

“More than 1,900 people were killed in 2011, three per cent more than in 2010 – and the biggest increases were among children and those aged over 60.

“Many of these lives would have been saved if the vehicles involved had been travelling more slowly.”

A reduction in speed limits would also improve the capital’s air quality, she said – saving yet more lives.

“More than 4,000 people a year die from the effects of poor air quality in London alone – that’s a shocking figure that, in itself, should be enough to persuade town halls across the capital to be adopting stricter measures to reduce motorists’ speed.”

A citizens’ proposal will see MEPs vote on a proposal to reduce all speed limits in residential areas to 20 MPH if more than a million people from at least seven EU nations – about 55,000 from the UK – join a so-called ‘European Citizens’ Initiative‘ backing the reduction between now and September 2013.

You can sign the petition here: http://en.30kmh.eu/