You MUST NOT exceed the maximum speed limits for the road and for your vehicle (see the table below). A speed limit of 30 mph (48 km/h), or 20mph (32km/h) in Wales, generally applies to all roads with street lights (excluding motorways) unless signs show otherwise.
Speed limits
Cars & motorcycles (including car derived vans up to 2 tonnes maximum laden weight)
- Built-up areas, England, Scotland — mph (km/h): 30 (48)
- Built up areas, Wales — mph (km/h): 20 (32)
- Single carriageways — mph (km/h): 60 (96)
- Dual carriageways — mph (km/h): 70 (112)
- Motorways — mph (km/h): 70 (112)
Cars towing caravans or trailers (including car derived vans and motorcycles)
- Built-up areas, England, Scotland — mph (km/h): 30 (48)
- Built up areas, Wales — mph (km/h): 20 (32)
- Single carriageways — mph (km/h): 50 (80)
- Dual carriageways — mph (km/h): 60 (96)
- Motorways — mph (km/h): 60 (96)
Motorhomes or motor caravans (not exceeding 3.05 tonnes maximum unladen weight)
- Built-up areas, England, Scotland — mph (km/h): 30 (48)
- Built up areas, Wales — mph (km/h): 20 (32)
- Single carriageways — mph (km/h): 60 (96)
- Dual carriageways — mph (km/h): 70 (112)
- Motorways — mph (km/h): 70 (112)
Motorhomes or motor caravans (exceeding 3.05 tonnes maximum unladen weight)
- Built-up areas, England, Scotland — mph (km/h): 30 (48)
- Built up areas, Wales — mph (km/h): 20 (32)
- Single carriageways — mph (km/h): 50 (80)
- Dual carriageways — mph (km/h): 60 (96)
- Motorways — mph (km/h): 70 (112)
Buses, coaches and minibuses (not exceeding 12 metres in overall length)
- Built-up areas, England, Scotland — mph (km/h): 30 (48)
- Built up areas, Wales — mph (km/h): 20 (32)
- Single carriageways — mph (km/h): 50 (80)
- Dual carriageways — mph (km/h): 60 (96)
- Motorways — mph (km/h): 70† (112)
Goods vehicles (not exceeding 7.5 tonnes maximum laden weight)
- Built-up areas, England, Scotland — mph (km/h): 30 (48)
- Built up areas, Wales — mph (km/h): 20 (32)
- Single carriageways — mph (km/h): 50 (80)
- Dual carriageways — mph (km/h): 60 (96)
- Motorways — mph (km/h): 70†† (112)
Goods vehicles (exceeding 7.5 tonnes maximum laden weight) in England and Wales
- Built-up areas, England, Scotland — mph (km/h): 30 (48)
- Built up areas, Wales — mph (km/h): 20 (32)
- Single carriageways — mph (km/h): 50 (80)
- Dual carriageways — mph (km/h): 60 (96)
- Motorways — mph (km/h): 60 (96)
Goods vehicles (exceeding 7.5 tonnes maximum laden weight) in Scotland
- Built-up areas, England, Scotland — mph (km/h): 30 (48)
- Built up areas, Wales — mph (km/h): 20 (32)
- Single carriageways — mph (km/h): 40 (64)
- Dual carriageways — mph (km/h): 50 (80)
- Motorways — mph (km/h): 60 (96)
† 60 mph (96 km/h) if exceeding 12 metres in overall length.
†† 60 mph (96 km/h) if articulated or towing a trailer.
For speed limits that apply to special types of vehicles, such as oversized vehicles, see Further reading.
Locally set speed limits may apply, for example
- 20 mph (32 km/h) in some built-up areas in England and Scotland
- 30 mph (48 km/h) in some built-up areas in Wales
- 50 mph (80 km/h) on single carriageways with known hazards
- variable speed limit signs are used on some motorways and dual carriageways to change the maximum speed limit.
Speed limits are enforced by the police.
Law RTRA sects 81, 86, 89 & sched 6 as amended by MV(VSL)(E&W), RR(20)O
Source note (app): Rule 124 refreshed from the Department for Transport’s GOV.UK Highway Code, checked 2026-09-06. This corrects the imported passage only; the rest of the archive has not been refreshed. © Crown copyright. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Licence details: The National Archives, Open Government Licence v3.0. No government endorsement is implied.