Motorway Speed Limit Review

3 October 2011

The UK Government plans to launch a full public consultation on its proposals to raise the maximum motorway speed limit to 80MPH later this year with a view to implementing any change in early 2013.

Vehicles have changed dramatically since the current national speed limit was set in 1965. Technological advances mean that cars are significantly safer then they were - contributing to a fall of more than 75% in the number of people killed on British roads since 1965. That is why the Government feels it is now time to look again at whether the speed limit set in 1965 is still appropriate.

Previous analysis shows that raising the motorway speed limit would generate significant economic benefits, worth hundreds of millions of pounds per year from savings of travel time.