While I was living in the UAE, the UK quietly rolled out something called Smart Motorways. Now bear in mind – I’d been away for a bit, so when I came back and first heard about these, I honestly thought someone was taking the mick.
“Wait… they removed the hard shoulder? On purpose? And called that ‘smart’?!”
Is driving at 25mph the new criminal offence? Apparently, yes – if you’re in London, Wales or an increasing number of towns and cities across Britain. In what feels like an ever-tightening noose on British motorists, the humble 20mph speed limit is no longer just for school zones or hospitals – it’s everywhere. In Wales, a blanket 20mph limit was rolled out across most built-up areas in 2023. Meanwhile, London, never one to miss an opportunity for regulation, has been steadily replacing 30 zones with 20s – now covering over half the city’s roads. And guess what? Other councils are falling in line faster than you can say “Notice of Intended Prosecution.”