Islington welcomes careful drivers with blanket 20mph zone

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All residential roads in Islington will be subject to the driving restriction by the end of the year in a move aimed at cutting the number of fatalities and accidents.

The initiative is likely to be introduced across other boroughs as safety campaigners call for a London-wide scheme.

But motoring organisations immediately criticised the scheme for unfairly penalising drivers and raised concerns over how it will be enforced.

Green Party Islington councillor, Katie Dawson, has been granted £1million to implement the 20mph zone on all council-controlled residential roads, mainly through signs, although speed bumps and CCTV cameras may later be used.

About half of Islington's 1,420 residential roads, covering 174 miles, are already 20mph.

The ban will not affect Transport for London-run arterial roads, including the A1, Camden Road and Seven Sisters Road, or major council-run routes such as Essex Road, which will remain 30mph.

But questions were raised over how the speed limit could be enforced without more police resources.

Adrian Tink, motoring strategist for the RAC, said: "People don't want speed cameras but, without more police on the roads, you have to question how effective it will be.

"Drivers accept restrictions in sensitive areas outside schools and hospitals but a blanket ban causes a lot of frustration as without cameras you're looking at speed bumps and chicanes, which are almost equally unliked."

Most drivers are unlikely to be prosecuted if they are found at 30mph in a 20mph zone but supporters believe the limits reduce accidents and ensure lower emissions because vehicles will stop and start less.

Islington's statistics show seven people were killed and 105 seriously hurt on its roads in 2007, which fell in the first 10 months of last year as more 20mph zones were introduced.

Councillor Dawson said: "Statistics show if you hit someone at 30mph they probably die but 10mph less and they will almost certainly live."