Cllr Michael Maurice claims the low speed limit is “totally unnecessary” on some sections of Preston Road but Brent Council says stats show casualties have almost halved
A council is being urged to reintroduce the original 30mph speed limit on a road in North London, with the reduction in some sections being described as “totally unnecessary”.
The 20mph zone was introduced eight years ago but it has been claimed the low speed limit “has caused road rage and dangerous driving” by a local councillor.
A petition submitted by Conservative Councillor Michael Maurice is calling on Labour-run Brent Council to once again make a section of Preston Road a 30mph limit. The local authority first introduced the 20mph limit in 2018 due to the volume of accidents on the road in the three years preceding its implementation.
The petition, which has so far been signed by 88 residents, is looking to increase the limit on Preston Road between Carlton Avenue East and its junction with East Lane and Forty Avenue. Cllr Maurice claims the measure “does not seem to deter people who race and speed”.
He adds: “In 2018, Preston Road was made a 20mph speed limit along its whole length. Whilst such a low speed limit may be required in that part where the shops are, I feel that it is totally unnecessary to have such a low limit between Carlton Avenue East and its junction with East Lane and Forty Avenue.
“This low speed limit has caused road rage and dangerous overtaking. Drivers who stick to the limit have reported that they’ve even been overtaken by buses. It also does not seem to deter people who race and speed but they are more likely to be involved in an accident. […] Many people including bus drivers have been prosecuted for driving at 24mph.”
When Brent Council first proposed the changes back in 2017, the local authority pointed to 52 accidents that had taken place on the road since 2014. Of the resulting 58 casualties, five sustained serious injuries and 53 had slight injuries.
Amongst the casualties, 14 involved pedestrians; five involved cyclists; 12 involved motorbikes; and 27 were drivers or passengers travelling by car. These figures prompted the council to introduce measures to reduce vehicle speed and enable pedestrians to cross the road safely – including implementing the 20mph limit.
Cllr Maurice said: “I support 20mph limits where they are appropriate, particularly around schools and busy shopping areas. But different parts of Preston Road have very different characteristics.
“The council’s own surveys have shown significant non-compliance with the 20mph limit, and I have not seen convincing evidence that it has improved safety on this particular stretch. The police only appear to enforce the limit on the section between Carlton Avenue East and the junction with East Lane/Forty Avenue. They don’t have their cameras where the shops are and where the speed limit is there for safety.”
Brent Council said that it aware of the petition requesting the reintroduction of the 30mph limit and “will consider the request” alongside relevant traffic and road safety data before providing a response. However, it pointed to the latest available three-year data – from November 2022 to October 2025 – which recorded a reduction in the number of casualties resulting from road traffic collisions on Preston Road.
A Brent Council spokesperson said: “The council is committed to improving road safety and reducing the number of people injured in road traffic collisions on the borough’s roads. Road safety improvements, including the introduction of a 20mph speed limit along the whole of Preston Road, were implemented in 2018 following public consultation in autumn 2017, when 72 per cent of respondents supported the scheme.
“Prior to the scheme’s introduction, there were 64 casualties resulting from road traffic collisions during the three-year period from July 2014 to June 2017. This has reduced to 35 casualties during the latest comparable three-year period from November 2022 to October 2025.”
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