ANYONE who drives along Battenhall Road, Worcester, or heads up the A449 towards Kidderminster will be aware that speed limits are often reduced, but rarely move in the opposite direction.

There are good reasons for the 20mph zone in Battenhall and the 50mph limit on the A449. The former is a quiet residential road near a number of schools, the latter a notorious accident blackspot, and the lower limits have arguably made those roads safer.

But is that always the case? We have become so used to the mantra that lower speeds equal safer roads that it is a surprise to hear safety chiefs at Worcestershire City Council suggest that limits on certain roads could be increased to reduce accidents.

But it makes perfect sense.

A limit that is not appropriate for a particular road can not only have a detrimental effect on traffic flow, but makes drivers feel frustrated.

That ‘red mist’ is itself a cause of accidents, but it also makes people feel justified in breaking the law on that road – which can in turn make them feel more comfortable exceeding the limit on roads where the limit is sensible and justified.

The council’s officers are to be commended for going beyond traditional health-and-safety doctrine and accepting the reasonable premise that a speed limit can be too low as well as too high.

The council intends to look carefully at the accident record and consult fully with local residents before making any decisions on where limits can rise.

As long as it does that, county drivers could benefit from roads that are freer-flowing yet, ironically, also less dangerous.