Motorists in Slough are being warned of speed limit changes set to come into force next month.

From February 12, multiple changes are being made to speed limits on the A4, Sutton Lane and London Road.

The A4, including the Bath Road, High Street, Wellington Street, Sussex Place and London Road will go from being a 40mph zone to a slower 30mph.

While the Colnbrook By-Pass will see its 60mph limit changed to a 50mph limit.

Councillor Puja Bedi, lead member for transport, housing, highways, the environment and environmental services, said: “The A4 is our main route through the town, and it is used by thousands of drivers every day.

"We are committed to making the route as safe as possible for everyone, as one death is one too many. If we implement the suggested measures, I believe this will make a difference. 

“Providing a safer route for pedestrians and cyclists will increase confidence in our residents and commuters to use more sustainable modes of transport, especially for shorter journeys.

“A scheme such as this will live out our value of a town where residents live healthier, safer and more independent lives.”

It follows a cabinet meeting in November 2023, where the road safety measures were approved to help reduce and prevent accidents, from the Huntercombe crossroads at the borough boundary to the intersection of the M4 Junction 5 roundabout.

It is hoped the changes to the speed limits will reduce the severity of collisions when they occur.

Average speed cameras, red-light camera systems, road surface treatments and traffic signal improvements will also be put in place.

Pedestrians and cyclists will also soon be able to benefit from improved crossings.

While roadside hazards will be removed along with other 'clutter' which obscures motorists' view.

The works are being entirely funded by £1.7m from the Department for Transport’s Safer Roads Fund and will be in parallel with the A4 cycle scheme currently in development. 

The A4 in Slough was identified as having a disproportionate number of casualties, based on the criteria set by the DfT.

In 2016, the A4 between its junction with Huntercombe Lane South/North and the A4/M4 Junction 5, was identified as one of the 50 high-risk roads in England by the Road Safety Foundation. 

An analysis of fatal and serious collisions was undertaken by the DfT that showed three fatal and 44 serious collisions on this route between 2011-2015.

Fatal and serious collisions between 2016 to February 2022 show there were an additional four fatal and 42 serious collisions on the A4.

The purpose of the funding for this scheme is to reduce the number of fatal and serious injuries for all road users along the A4 in Slough and the associated impact on families affected by collisions.