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What is the speed limit for a van in the UK?
Van speed limits vary in the UK depending on weight and road types. Here's your definitive guide to which limits apply, and where...
Have you ever received a fine for speeding, huffed and wondered, “why me?” You’re not alone; statistics from the GOV.UK website show over 205,000 people were caught in 2024 – a 1% increase from 2023. A significant portion were van drivers, and a big reason for that is because the speed limit for vans is often different to cars in the UK. That includes vehicles towing trailers and, more rarely, certain pick-up trucks.
It is a driver’s responsibility to know what van speed limit applies to their vehicle, and what speed limits are enforced in the area they’re driving in. Wales, for instance, has different van speed limits to England, Northern Ireland and Scotland. Knowing the difference in restrictions is crucial, because ignorance is never an excuse.
So that’s why we've created this guide, to help you demystify an often confusing topic. We’ve answered all the general questions, and provided an in-depth breakdown of the restrictions for specific van types and roads.
What determines the speed limit for vans in the UK?
There are several primary factors, with some being: weight, the type of road and whether a trailer is being towed. The more a vehicle weighs, the longer it’ll take to stop. This is why vans tend to have lower speed limits than cars, since it improves safety and reduces the number of accidents for what are often heavily laden vehicles.
Do vans have different speed limits in the UK?
In most circumstances, yes, they do. As a general rule of thumb, vans that weigh more than 3.5 tonnes are capped at 60mph on motorways and 50mph on dual carriageways. Meanwhile, vans that are between 1.2 tonnes and 3.5 tonnes are limited to 70mph on motorways and 60mph on dual carriageways.
For instance, most Iveco Daily examples will not be allowed to go at over 60mph on motorways, since they weigh anywhere from 3.5 to 7.2 tonnes. But a VW Transporter can travel at 70mph on a motorway, since they tend to weigh between 2.6 and 3.2 tonnes.
Is there a speed limit for vans with windows?
If it’s a car-derived van that weighs less than two tonnes – like a Ford Fiesta Van or Renault Kangoo – it can follow the normal car speed limits. That means 70mph on motorways and dual carriageways, and 60mph on single carriageways.
For car-derived vans that have windows and weigh more than two tonnes – think Ford Tourneo or Volkswagen Caravelle – the limit is slightly different: 70mph on motorways, 60mph on dual carriageways and 50mph on single carriageways.
Has the van speed limit ever changed?
Though speed limits have been enforced on UK roads ever since 1861, they went through significant changes in the 20th century. In 1935, a 30mph speed limit was placed in built-up areas, and in 1967, a 70mph cap for motorways.
Van owners saw huge changes put in place in 1973: 70mph on dual carriageways and 60mph in single carriageways. In 2023, further changes were made focusing on goods vehicles over 7.5 tonnes, limiting them to 60mph on motorways and dual carriageways, and 50mph (40mph in Scotland) on single carriageways.
What are the van speed limits when towing?
If you’re towing a trailer (including driving an articulated vehicle), then a good rule of thumb is to knock 10mph off the speed limit that applies when you’re not towing. So, if you can usually do 70mph on the motorway when not towing, you’ll be limited to 60mph with a trailer. And if you’d normally adhere to a 60mph limit on a single carriageway, then a 50mph limit will apply when towing.
These tow limits are in place to minimise the chances of the trailer beginning to ‘snake’, making it more likely for you to regain control of the vehicle should that happen. It’s also worth considering that braking is generally more difficult when you’ve got a trailer hitched, so aside from sticking to the reduced speed limit, you should leave plenty of space from the car ahead.
And when you get to built-up areas, the normal limits will be in force. That’s 30mph in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, or 20mph in Wales.
Is the penalty price for speeding the same as it is for a car?
The minimum fixed fine – which is £100 and three points on your license – is the same for all vehicles. But given the UK’s van speed limits, it could be very easy for van drivers to receive bigger fines and more points for offences.
Since vans are supposed to travel at lower speeds than cars, being caught above the limit could put you in a higher penalty bracket than a car doing the same speed. This is because of the increased risks of speeding in a van, which, in the case of an incident, will cause far more damage than a car would.
Precisely how much you pay is calculated depending on the speed and circumstances i.e. if you were speeding despite poor weather, or had a trailer hitched and loaded with dangerous cargo. Once all factors have been considered, and the severity of the case decided, you’ll be placed in one of three bands:
- Band A: Fined between 25 and 75% of your weekly income and given 3 points
- Band B: Fined between 75 and 125% of your weekly income, given 4 to 6 points and disqualified from driving for 7 to 28 days
- Band C: Fined between 125 and 175% of your weekly income, given 6 points and disqualified from driving for 7 to 56 days
The maximum possible fine for speeding is capped at £1,000, or £2,500 if caught speeding on a motorway. In very rare (and very extreme) circumstances, the court may need to increase both the fine and the penalty points issued.
Breakdown of van weight classes and corresponding speeds
In this section, we’ll be distinguishing between the speed limits for specific vans on various roads, and, where possible, categorising them into weight classes.
Large vans (over 3500kg)
- Motorway: 60mph*
- Dual carriageway: 60mph*
- Single carriageway: 50mph
- Built-up area: 30mph (20mph in Wales)
*Most large vans are electronically limited to 56mph
Medium vans (between 1200 and 3500kg)
- Motorway: 70mph
- Dual carriageway: 60mph
- Single carriageway: 50mph
- Built-up area: 30mph (20mph in Wales)
Small vans (under 1200kg)
- Motorway: 70mph
- Dual carriageway: 60mph
- Single carriageway: 60mph
- Built-up area: 30mph (20mph in Wales)
Double cab vans (over 2040kg)
- Motorway: 70mph
- Dual carriageway: 60mph
- Single carriageway: 50mph
- Built-up area: 30mph (20mph in Wales)
Double-cab vans (under 2040kg)
- Motorway: 70mph
- Dual carriageway: 70mph
- Single carriageway: 60mph
- Built-up area: 30mph (20mph in Wales)
Dual-purpose vehicles
- Motorway: 60mph
- Dual carriageway: 60mph
- Single carriageway: 50mph
- Built-up area: 30mph (20mph in Wales)
Campervans (over 3050kg)
- Motorway: 70mph
- Dual carriageway: 60mph
- Single carriageway: 50mph
- Built-up area: 30mph (20mph in Wales)
Campervans (under 3050kg)
- Motorway: 70mph
- Dual carriageway: 70mph
- Single carriageway: 60mph
- Built-up area: 30mph (20mph in Wales)
Pick-up trucks (over 3500kg)
- Motorway: 60mph
- Dual carriageway: 60mph
- Single carriageway: 50mph
- Built-up area: 30mph (20mph in Wales)
Pick-up trucks (under 3500kg)
- Motorway: 70mph
- Dual carriageway: 70mph
- Single carriageway: 60mph
- Built-up area: 30mph (20mph in Wales)
Car-based vans
- Motorway: 70mph
- Dual carriageway: 70mph
- Single carriageway: 60mph
- Built-up area: 30mph (20mph in Wales)
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FAQs
Absolutely – provided it doesn’t exceed 3.5 tonnes. Examples of these could be the Ford Transit Custom, Vauxhall Caddy Cargo or certain variations of the Mercedes Sprinter. If it does weigh more than 3.5 tonnes, you’ll need to stick to 60mph in most circumstances in the UK.
This is dependent on weight: car-derived vans, pick-up trucks and small to medium-sized vans that weigh up to 3.05 tonnes are allowed to hit 70mph here, but anything considered to be a light commercial vehicle, or heavier than 3.05 tonnes, will be restricted to 60mph.
Yes, many do. Speed-detection systems are becoming ever-more advanced, and are linked to the ANPR database, so they know what the vehicle is, and what speed limit it should be adhering to.
Speed camera vans are now so advanced that they can now detect you more than a mile away. However, they work only on a straight road, because they cannot see round corners.
No, there is no way to do this. The only way you’ll know if you’ve been caught is when the Notice of Intended Prosecution (NIP) is posted through your letterbox.
For a start, you must tell your insurer or your fleet manager if you receive an NIP. Three points will affect your insurance by around 5%. However, get done a second time, and your premium could increase by as much as 25% come renewal time.
If it's your first offence in five years, and your speed wasn't excessively over the limit, you could be given the option to do a speed awareness course. This is offered at the discretion of the police, and there are a few criteria, which vary from force to force. You must have been caught doing less than 10% over the limit, and you cannot have any pre-existing points on your licence. Speeding must also be the only offence you were committing at the time.
