FOUR people died on Newport roads last year.

Two car occupants and two motorcyclists lost their lives in 2022 according to records collated and published by the Department for Transport for the last five years.

It means last year was the first since 2014 where no pedestrians or cyclists were killed on Newport roads.

Among those who died in Newport were motorcyclist Mason Williams, who was killed in a crash in Maesglas on February 2.

Of the 95 people who died on Welsh roads last year, 42 were travelling by car, 21 by motorbike, 20 by foot and seven by bike.

Only one fatality - in Caerphilly - has been listed as a heavy goods vehicle (HGV) occupant, and another one - in Wrexham - as a van occupant.

Three people were victims of fatal collisions in other vehicles, though none were recorded on buses.

The Welsh Government hopes the slower 20mph default limit will lead to a reduction in the number of road casualties, relieve pressure on emergency services and save the NHS crucial funds in the long term.

More than 450,000 people have signed a Senedd petition to "rescind and remove" the legislation which was included in Welsh Labour's manifesto for government and came into effect on September 17.

Newport City Council says the costs of implementing the new default speed limit have had "no impact" on its ability to fulfill requests for road safety schemes.

 

Decade in Wales

There were 978 casualties on Welsh roads between 2013 and 2022.

More than one in 10 (109) occured in Powys, with the second worst record belonging to Carmarthernshire (78).

Powys retains the unfortunate title of the most dangerous roads when the figures are adjusted for population, with more than eight road fatalities per 10,000 in population over the past decade.

Newport City Council report the same death toll as Neath Port Talbot with 46 - comparable to Cardiff (48), Caerphilly (38) and Monmouthshire (49).

No local authority has recorded fewer road fatalities in the decade than Torfaen's 18, where no one was killed on the road in 2015 or 2022, though curiously, the population adjustments put Cardiff as the area with the safest roads.