The Department for Transport has announced a consultation on motorway speed limits for heavy goods vehicles (HGVs).  It is proposed to reduce the speed limit for all HGVs from 70 to 60mph.  The reason given is that most modern HGVs have a technical restriction built into them to limit the maximum speed to 56mph (90Kmh), so that having a speed limit greater than the physical maximum speed is pointless.  Moreover, older HGVs are not required to have speed limiters fitted, which gives them an unfair advantage.

A reduced speed limit for HGVs would reduce fuel consumption and probably also accidents.  But why only for one class of motorway user?  We are used to the enforcement of speed limits by cameras on urban roads, so why is not this done for motorways, on which half the vehicles exceed the speed limit?  The Committee on Climate Change, in its most recent annual report, urges the enforcement of the 70mph speed limit on motorways to reduce carbon emissions by 1.4MtCO2.

The Government says it is “committed to ensuring that speed limits are complied with and enforced as a means of reducing deaths and injuries on our roads. Speeding is a traffic offence with potentially serious consequences and driving at excessive speeds continues to be a problem that results in accidents, fatalities and serious injuries.”  So why no action on motorway speed limits?