Mark Drakeford says ‘genuinely confused’ drivers will escape fines from new 20mph speed limit roads

Drivers are being encouraged to keep up to date with the law changes, which were first introduced on September 17 last year.

All restricted roads – which can be identified as having spaced-out streetlamps - across Wales saw their speed limits fall to 20mph in a bid to boost road safety.

The outgoing first minister said the police will enforce the 20mph speed limit for people who drive “well above” the speed limit.

He added that people who were confused by whether the rules applied to the road they were driving on would not face action.

Drakeford, who represents Cardiff West in the Welsh Senedd, said in a press conference that there were “anomalies” in signage.

Transport Minister Lee Waters confirmed that prosecutions will start at 26mph in a 20mph zone “for now”.

Road safety partnership GoSafe Wales said enforcement of the 20mph zones would start at 10 per cent of the speed limit, plus four miles per hour.

However, these rules are expected to be tightened in the future as motorists around the country get used to the new rules.

The Labour First Minister said: “I think if the police find somebody driving above 20mph and the reason is they are genuinely confused about that - I don't think in those circumstances of genuine confusion the police will move to enforcement.

"If there are examples, genuine examples, where people just have misunderstood that this piece of road that they are on is now a 20mph limit, I think that will be resolved through the way that the police intend to respond.

"But it would need to be genuine confusion, rather than just a claim to be confused."

​Since being rolled out over three months ago, the new 20mph speed limit changes have been met with fierce backlash from motorists and politicians in Wales.

A petition launched last year slammed the Government for introducing these new rules without giving the people a say, with more than 467,000 people supporting it.

It demanded that the Government “rescind and remove the disastrous” 20mph laws, claiming that the law is not being spearheaded for health and safety reasons.

The petition is expected to be considered for a debate in March when the six-month deadline comes to an end.

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Furious drivers across the country also took aim at the newly installed 20mph signs, by spraying them with black paint or even tearing them down.