AN urgent campaign to slow traffic on rural roads has come one step closer to success, after district councillors voted in favour of the motion at a meeting on Wednesday, September 5. Selborne councillor Maureen Comber brought the campaign to lower the speed limit on single track roads to the council, following years of trouble on the small country lanes in the area. She said: "What woke me up to the problem was the recent news in The Herald. "I haven't taken my horse out on the lanes for years, because of the sheer danger and anxiety it presents, but after reading about it in the recent papers, I realised that I'm not alone in feeling like this." As a keen horse rider, Mrs Comber is campaigning to lower the speed limits in favour of all non- motorised road users. She said: "The high speed limit not only discriminates against horse riders, but also against cyclists and walkers. "We have been discriminated against for far too long. It is time to return to the status quo." Mrs Comber argues that the 60mph speed limit affects other aspects of life in the area, including tourism. She said: "Fast moving traffic damages the tranquility of villages and deters people from walking, cycling, and riding in the countryside. "For example, in Jersey, a limit of 15mph has transformed networks of country lanes and has raised the profile as a tourist destination." Mrs Comber also said that the current speed limit of 60 mph goes against evidence that shows the majority of pedestrians are killed when involved in collisions where the car is travelling at just 40mph. She said: "In any given situation, the faster the average traffic speed, the more collisions there are." "Speed limits are meant to indicate the speed at which it is safe to drive, so why put a 60 mph limit on these single track lanes? There are roads in the area twice the width of these lanes with 40 or 50mph speed limits. "There is nothing to warn motorists of the dangers of travelling so fast down the small roads, and for people that are not in cars, there is often no where to get off the road and out of the way. "We are encouraged to use sustainable transport, but it isn't possible on these rural roads- it's just too dangerous." The motion was agreed with a three to one majority. Mrs Comber added: "It is very encouraging to have the support of the council. "It'll be a long process, and it could still be turned down, but we have already gone some way to highlighting the problem." The Highways Agency of Hampshire County Council will now consider the motion.