THE controversial 40mph speed limit on part of the Wessex Way is set to become a permanent fixture, a civic leader has pledged.

Cllr Michael Filer, Bournemouth council’s cabinet member for transportation, told the Daily Echo: “A final decision hasn’t been made yet. But I’m determined that it’s going to stay.”

His comments came after he watched shocking clips from Dorset Road Safe’s Dying to Drive? video at Bournemouth School for Boys, showing the carnage caused by excessive speed.

After the speed limit was slashed in January last year between County Gates and the approach to the St Paul’s roundabout, a car conga was staged by protestors. A Facebook group, opposed to the 40mph limit, attracted more than 8,000 supporters.

Last autumn, councillors overwhelmingly backed plans to extend the 40mph limit trial to a total of 12 months after hearing how it had reduced the number of accidents on the busy dual carriageway by more than a third.

Between 2004 and 2008 nearly 200 people were injured in collisions on that section of the dual carriageway and road chiefs decided to trial the 40mph limit after accidents on the Richmond Hill slip road caused “widescale traffic disruption” in 2009.

However Steven Old, who started the Facebook campaign against the 40mph speed limit, told councillors that there had only been one fatal accident between 2004 and 2008, involving an 86-year-old man driving on the wrong side of the road.

Councillors heard that reducing the speed limit from 50mph to 40mph had added between 33 to 36 seconds to drivers’ journey times.

Cllr Filer said: “Watching the Dying to Drive? video has reinforced my view that the 40mph speed limit should remain on the Wessex Way.

“Seeing the injuries that can be caused by travelling just 10mph faster has brought the message home that the lower limit must stay. A final decision will not be made for another month but I’m determined it is going to stay.

“Extra journey times of more than 30 seconds pale into insignificance if lives can be saved on that section of the road.”