Car speed limits could be cut but raised for HGVs

Speed limits for cars could beryllium reduced from 60mph to 50mph connected azygous carriageways portion expanding for lorries, nether caller Scottish authorities proposals.

The plans would spot the bounds for HGVs raised from 40mph to 50mph connected azygous carriageways and 50mph to 60mph connected dual carriageways.

The authorities is launching a consultation connected the changes - which person been welcomed by roadworthy hauliers - pursuing a spike successful roadworthy deaths.

It is abstracted from a commitment to driblet the velocity bounds connected each "appropriate" municipality roads to 20mph by the extremity of 2025.

Ministers are aiming to fractional the fig of radical killed and earnestly injured connected Scotland's roads by 2030.

Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop announced the proposals during a sojourn to the Road Expo successful Glasgow.

The curate said roadworthy fatalities successful 2024 truthful acold were 26% higher than astatine the aforesaid play past year.

Hyslop said roadworthy information was a precedence for the authorities and it remained "absolutely committed" to moving towards making Scotland’s roads the safest successful the satellite by 2030.

She said: "Evidence from the National Speed Management Review indicates that revising velocity limits could pb to a important simplification successful the fig of wounded collisions connected our roads portion maintaining travel times and enhancing travel clip reliability.

“We indispensable ne'er suffer show of the information that 1 decease connected our roads is 1 excessively many.

"These projected changes correspond a captious measurement towards achieving nationalist casualty simplification targets, and I impulse everyone to instrumentality portion successful the consultation and assistance signifier the aboriginal of roadworthy information successful Scotland.”

Under the existent rules, velocity limits for cars are acceptable astatine 30mph successful built-up areas, 60mph connected azygous carriageways and 70mph connected dual carriageways and motorways.

However, section authorities are capable to acceptable limits beneath these, specified arsenic 20mph successful built-up areas oregon 50mph successful a agelong of roadworthy with crisp bends.

The Road Haulage Association (RHA) said the Scottish authorities should beryllium commended for consulting connected the alteration to HGV velocity limits.

Martin Reid, the body's argumentation manager for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, said: "The 50mph proceedings connected the A9 has resulted successful a simplification successful risky overtaking with a resultant betterment successful safety, backed up by a decennary of information from roads successful England and Wales.

“The hold of a 50mph bounds crossed each Scottish azygous carriageway A roads should beryllium expected to output akin results."

He added: “We besides cognize that lorries usage little substance and make less emissions erstwhile they tin thrust astatine 50mph, and shorter journeys make savings which tin beryllium passed connected to customers."