Councillors and road safety advocates in the Forest of Dean are calling for a 40mph speed limit on the district’s wooded roads to halt the ongoing “bloody carnage” impacting both people and animals.
The Forest of Dean road safety group, composed of county, district, parish, town councillors, emergency service members, highways, and forestry officers, has long campaigned for this reduction. Despite a decade of rising road fatalities, including recent deaths and dozens of wild animals killed in accidents, the current speed limits remain dangerously high.
Recent efforts to lower the speed limit on Speech House Road to 50mph are viewed as insufficient by the group, as fatal collisions continue to occur at that speed. County Councillor Beki Hoyland, chair of the road safety group, has been a driving force behind the push for a 40mph limit, citing solid evidence and strong community backing.
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“When I was first elected in 2021, I knew the urgent need to reduce speeds in these wooded areas,” Hoyland said. “Lowering the speed would protect people inside vehicles who face grim injury statistics, and make cyclists and pedestrians feel safer. Moreover, in just two months, Forestry England reported 12 wild boar and 15 deer deaths on these roads—likely an undercount, as many animals probably perish unseen."
Despite agreement from both police and highways officials that 40mph would be more effective, enforcement challenges persist. Police insist on road modifications to create the perception of slower speeds before enforcing stricter limits—a costly and intrusive requirement highways are reluctant to undertake. This stalemate continues to delay progress.
Former road safety group chair and Cinderford Town Council leader Graham Morgan highlights frustration over the delay, noting similar areas like Dartmoor and the New Forest have had safe speed limits for decades. “We’re now in 2026, and yet Gloucestershire hasn’t acted. Drivers speeding here risk hitting wild animals, forcing dangerous swerves that often result in fatal crashes.”
Morgan also recommends installing traffic lights at notorious staggered junctions like Cannop and Mireystock to reduce collisions. “Countless accidents have happened at these crossroads. There are clear measures to lower crashes — a Forest-wide lower speed limit is long overdue.”
Since February this year, 12 feral wild boar and 15 deer have died on Forest roads, underscoring the urgent need for change. Gloucestershire Constabulary emphasizes its commitment to road safety, noting that speeding remains one of the top causes of fatal accidents alongside distractions, seat belt violations, and impaired driving.
Calls grow louder for decisive action to protect both humans and wildlife on these rural roads.