Subscribe to The Times
Home > Speed limits

Speed limits

Conservatives detail plans to end ‘anti-car’ measures in Britain

Published 03 October 2023
By James Fossdyke
Transport secretary Mark Harper pledges to make driving “as straightforward, smooth, fair, environmentally responsible and safe as possible.”
Smart motorway safety tech only installed on 37 miles of network

Are derestricted motorways coming?

Liz Truss has said that she will consider scrapping both motorway speed limits and smart motorways if she wins the Tory leadership contest.
Published 02 September 2022
20mph speed limit sign

Monmouthshire backtracks on 20mph limit

A trial of a new 20mph urban speed limit in some areas of Monmouthshire in south Wales is due to end, with the limit reverting to 30mph.
Published 03 August 2022
Welcome to Wales sign

Speed limit in Wales lowered to 20mph

The Welsh parliament has passed legislation that will see the speed limit in built-up areas reduced from 30mph to 20mph from next year.
Published 12 July 2022
Anti-speeding police commissioner Caroline Henry broke speed limit five times

Anti-speeding champion broke limit five times

Caroline Henry, who vowed to crack down on speeding motorists, was herself caught breaking the speed limit five times in four months.
Published 06 May 2022
Me and My Motor: Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg

Rees-Mogg: 20mph limits 'ridiculous'

The minister for Brexit opportunities and government efficiency, Jacob Rees-Mogg, has branded 20mph speed limits “ridiculous”.
Published 04 May 2022
Smart motorway roadworks speed limit to increase from 50mph to 60mph

WWF: Public wants 60mph motorway speed limits

Lowering the motorway speed limit to 60mph is among the measures that would be supported by the public in an effort to reduce carbon emissions.
Published 12 October 2021
The government is being urged by leading road research experts to reduce the default national speed limit around towns from 30mph to 20mph in order to reduce road deaths and serious injuries.

Government urged to make 20mph default speed limit

One-third of UK roads now have 20mph limit, as urban areas seek to reduce limits to protect vulnerable road users.
Published 19 July 2021
New motorway speed limits have halved pollution in some areas of Wales

New speed limit halves Welsh motorway pollution

Lower speed limits introduced on high-pollution stretches of Welsh motorways have been successful in halving levels of harmful emissions.
Published 19 October 2020
German Green party vows to introduce speed limit on autobahns

German party vows to enforce autobahn speed limit

A speed limit of 130KPH (80mph) will be introduced to Germany's autobahns should the country's Green Party come to power at next year’s elections
Published 15 July 2020
Number of drivers taking speed awareness courses has trebled since 2010

Speed awareness drivers have trebled since 2010

More motorists than ever are taking speed awareness courses after being busted breaking the speed limit — and by a massive margin.
Published 19 February 2020
A 20mph speed limit is "essential" in England, road safety campaigners argue

Town 20mph speed limit 'essential' say campaigners

Several transport and travel charities in Britain have joined forces to lobby for a default 20mph speed limit in built-up areas across England.
Published 01 August 2019
More than four-fifths of drivers can't stick to a 20mph speed limit

Four-fifths of drivers can't stick to 20mph limit

An overwhelming majority of British drivers struggle to stick to 20mph speed limits, according to new speed compliance figures for 2018.
Published 28 June 2019