Any rush towards blanket 20mph zones on urban roads - a policy being introduced in Birmingham - should be slowed down, thousands of drivers have demanded.
Almost 70 per cent of motorists thought people should be consulted before 20mph limits were imposed on their street, a poll of almost 25,000 drivers found.
And 55 per cent of the 24,351 AA members who took part in the survey said drivers' views should be sought if 20mph zones were introduced in the areas through which they travelled.
Support for the introduction of speed cameras along 20mph routes was evenly split, with 41 per cent agreeing to the cameras and 38 per cent disagreeing.
There was more support for bringing in cameras at spots where problems emerged, with 61 per cent in favour.
Just under a third of those surveyed said 20mph limits in built-up areas offered such a great road safety benefit that residents' views did not have to be taken into account.
In March, Birmingham Council bosses approved the first phase of the 20mph roll-out, covering the city centre and inner-city wards.
The authority voted in 2012 in favour of a city-wide 20mph speed limit to improve pedestrian safety, lessen traffic congestion and reduce pollution.
AA president Edmund King said: "The AA supports the setting up of 20mph speed limits where residents along those roads want them.
"The need for local democratic approval, at street level, is clearly affirmed by this survey. Neighbourhoods face differing challenges from traffic.
"Some may need to slow down their own residents and reduce the risk of accidents, others have a 'rat-running' problem that a 20mph speed limit on its own won't address."
He went on: "The case for lowering speed outside vulnerable locations, such as schools and hospitals, is generally accepted.
"However, sweeping 20mph restrictions that slow down commuters, business deliveries and services, and the pace of a town or city in general, are not."
