Drivers have made their feelings clear with a fresh petition calling on the Welsh Government to make changes to the nation's 20mph rules after a controversial rollout.

A new petition has been launched calling for a "public poll" on 20mph speed limits across Wales, with the creator claiming that citizens are being "ignored".

It calls for the Welsh Government to green light a poll that would take into account the opinions of people and their thoughts on the lower 20mph speed limits.

The Welsh Government rolled out new default speed limits in September 2023 to improve road safety and limit the number of road deaths and injuries.

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The move was met with sharp disapproval, with many arguing it would impact productivity across the nation and would limit the freedoms of Welsh people.

Martyn Evans, the creator of the petition, claimed: "Since the petition against the 20mph speed limit closed, there has been a lot of talk but very little visible action on this matter, and more speed limits have been reduced.

"All limits need to be restored, including the M4 back to 70mph, as the pollution excuse is now redundant as a large part of Port Talbot steelworks has been shut down."

He noted that, in his opinion, the limits are being proven wrong every day, adding that the Government was targeting "the wrong people".

GETTY | The 20mph speed limit rule changes sparked protests across Wales

Data from the Government shows that collisions along roads that saw limits dropped from 30mph to 20mph decreased by 19 per cent last year.

It also revealed that 100 fewer people a year were killed or injured in road traffic accidents compared to the year before.

However, data from the GoSafe road safety partnership found that journey times of differing lengths were two minutes longer on average.

Evans continued, arguing: "It is also causing more road rage incidents than I've seen in 35 years of driving, and has reduced the significance of the areas that had, and actually needed, 20mph limits.

"It has been and continues to be a waste of time and money, forced on us by zealots that have no idea how this country needs to be run."

The petition currently has just over 1,700 signatures. It will be discussed by the Petitions Committee once it has ended, while the Senedd could debate the topic if it reaches 10,000 signatures.

Petitions have become a useful tool for Welsh drivers after a record-breaking petition called for the Welsh Government to "rescind and remove" the 20mph law.

The petition, which called the rules "disastrous", was signed by almost 470,000 people in just six months.

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The rate of car accidents has dropped in Wales since the 20mph speed limits were introduced

It became the most popular petition in Senedd history, beating out other calls for more hospital funding and supermarket rules to change during the coronavirus lockdown.

The petition and anger around the policy contributed to the resignation of several high-ranking politicians in Wales, including First Minister Mark Drakeford and Deputy Minister for Economy and Transport Lee Waters.

The petition was debated in the Senedd and led to the Government changing its rules around which roads should have the lower speed limit.

The Senedd clarified that local authorities should have the power to reintroduce a 30mph limit based on feedback from residents to ensure people are not negatively impacted.

In April 2024, Cabinet Secretary Ken Skates announced that Welsh citizens would be put first under the new process, adding that the Welsh Government had been listening to the opinions of motorists.