BMW driver threatens to sue her local council over plans for blanket 20mph limit saying it will damage the car's engine

A BMW driver is threatening to sue her local council claiming plans for a blanket 20mph speed limit will damage its powerful engine.

Diane Greenwood, 47, says her £25,000 car struggles to cope in fourth gear at such low speeds and she will be forced to drive around in third, putting extra strain on the engine and creating more pollution.

The mother-of-two is part of a growing campaign of motorists opposed to plans backed by Lib Dem coalition members for cars to be restricted to 20mph on all residential streets.

Court action: Diane Greenwood says driving in third gear will damage her car's engine and create more pollution

However supporters of the new lower limits angrily dismissed her claims as selfish and ill-informed – and pointed out that they are already widespread in Germany, where BMWs are built.

Mrs Greenwood, whose husband Ken runs a construction company, mainly uses her diesel engine BMW 320d on short journeys around her home town of Cleveleys, Lancashire.

But the local county council is proposing to restrict speeds to 20mph on all roads passing through built-up areas except major through-routes by next year, saying it will cut emissions and accidents.

'I’ve been driving around this area for 30 years and seen speeds get slower and slower, and no-one’s been run over in that time,’ she said yesterday.

Pointless: Diane Greenwood says a blanket 20mph ban is ridiculous and is threatening to sue her local council

'In fourth gear, my car tries to push to 22mph, so I have to change down to third, which uses more fuel and puts more of a strain on the car.

'I’m all in favour of 20mph limits outside schools, but the roads around here are nice and wide, so not only is it pointless but it actually negates what they’re trying to achieve.

'It’s all very well saying I should get a smaller car, but I’ve only had my BMW for a year and it’s my pride and joy – why should I buy a small car if I don’t want one?

'If anything happens to my car, I’m going to sue the council and force them to cover the costs – it’s a matter of principle as far as I’m concerned.’

Blanket ban: the council wants to see most of the roads in Cleveleys, Lancashire, subject to the 20mph limit

According to the '20’s Plenty For Us’ campaign, Lancashire is the biggest of 27 local authorities covering 7.4million people currently committed to making 20mph the default speed limit for residential areas.

Campaign manager Anna Semlyen dismissed Mrs Greenwood’s objections, saying they were based on prejudice and not fact.

'If she’s a BMW driver, she’s not that interested in the environment, is she?’ she said. 'BMW drivers generally have them for status reasons.

'In any case, most people only spend about half a mile of their journeys on residential streets, so it’s not going to do damage to their cars, and the facts show emissions are actually reduced.

Limited: A Department for Transport analysis of a voluntary 20mph scheme introduced in Portsmouth in 2007 found average speeds dropped by barely 1mph

'And BMWs are made in Germany where many towns have a speed limit of 30 kilometres an hour, which is 18.6mph, so if they can’t cope with 20mph it doesn’ t say much for the German car industry.

'She’s just ignorant, and she wouldn’t win even if she did try to sue.’

According to the campaign’s figures, 20mph zones can cut casualties by more than a fifth while reducing emissions by 12 per cent and increasing journey times by on average just 40 seconds.

However Department for Transport analysis of a voluntary 20mph scheme introduced in Portsmouth in 2007 found average speeds dropped by barely 1mph while deaths and serious injuries actually increased.

In Lancashire, a group of motorists are planning a 5mph go-slow protest to highlight what they say is the harmful effect of the £9million scheme.

Ridiculous: In Lancashire, a group of motorists are planning a 5mph go-slow protest to highlight what they say is the harmful effect the 20 mph limit

'It’s just ridiculous,’ said driving instructor Derek Ronson, from Preesall.



'It takes so long to get from A to B at this speed, yet there’s a 30mph limit past two schools.

'It would be fine on side roads, residential areas and near schools, but it’s crazy to put it in place on main roads as well.’

However Paul Binks, Lancashire County Council’s road and transport safety manager, said: 'People are much more likely to survive and have fewer injuries if involved in an accident at 20mph than 30mph.

Lancashire County Council said people are much more likely to survive and have fewer injuries if involved in an accident at 20mph than 30mph

'The impact on the environment is likely to be neutral as the roads included in the scheme already have relatively low average speeds and a further small reduction will have a minimal effect on air quality.

'It is quite difficult to drive efficiently at 30mph on many residential roads as the busy environment requires repeated acceleration and braking – driving at 20mph encourages a smoother driving style resulting in lower emissions.’

Wider support for 20mph zones is understood to be a condition agreed by the Lib Dems in return for backing an increase in the motorway speed limit to 80mph.