CUTTING speed limits will not necessarily reduce the number of accidents on North East Lincolnshire's roads.
That's the view of Ray Elliott, chairman of the Grimsby and Louth branch of the Institute Of Advanced Motorists.
Giving evidence to the council's speed limit review select committee yesterday, Mr Elliott said: "Reducing speed limits does not address the problem of driver error – and 95 per cent of all vehicle crashes are caused by driver error.
"Whatever the speed limit you will still get people driving in a dangerous manner.
"With ever-reducing budgets, is this the right time to spend money on reducing speed limits?"
Mr Elliott told the panel that "unrealistic" speed limits would only encourage motorists to break the law.
Citing the stretch of the A180 between Lockhill Roundabout and Riby Square as an example, he said: "The limit is 30mph but most people do 40mph. A 30mph limit is not realistic."
He suggested that more driver education would be a better way of reducing accidents, saying: "Driver education is the difficult option but it is the right way forward.
"If the council gave all its drivers extra driving instruction it would send a message that the council is serious about road safety."
However, Professor John Wann, head of psychology at the Royal Holloway, University of London, giving evidence by speaker phone, said that reducing speed limits on rural-urban roads would potentially reduce the errors that drivers make.
Steve Biddle, northern regional manager for the Road Haulage Association, suggested that some of the 40mph speed limits being proposed could create "bunching, impatience and potentially dangerous overtaking manoeuvres".
The select committee will meet again at Grimsby Town Hall at 1.15pm next Thursday.