THE speed limit on more than 70% of Liverpool’s roads is set to be slashed to 20mph.

An extra 365 miles of road will have the restrictions put on them in a bid to slash the number of accidents and cut around £5.5m from the bill arising from the cost of accidents to the NHS and police.

Council transport chiefs last night insisted the new limit – which will be introduced in zones over four years – will not be imposed on communities.

Widespread consultation will take place with residents before a decision is made.

Liverpool is taking its lead from other local authorities – including Warrington – where 20mph schemes have reduced the number of accidents by up to a quarter and speeds by an average of 6.3mph.

The council is working on the basis that any road currently subject to a 40mph speed limit will be left alone.

But some councillors and drivers’ associations questioned whether the cost of bringing the restrictions in – which has not yet been revealed – was worth it, given the lack of enforcement in residential areas.

It is hoped the number of road traffic accidents in Liverpool will be reduced by around 54 a year.

There have been 773 road accidents in the city since 2008.

Cllr Malcolm Kennedy, cabinet member for regeneration and transport, said: “It may be controversial, but the key thing is people will not have one [a 20mph limit] where they do not want one.

“There is a lot of demand for lower speed limits and we want to be able to satisfy that demand.

“However the consultation is very real and the majority of major roads and through roads will not be affected.”