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Speed is a major contributing factor in most road accidents. Even driving in fair conditions can be unpredictable, and unexpected hazards can surprise the most experienced of drivers. How fast you’re travelling will be the primary factor to determine whether you can stop in time to prevent an accident, and more critically, reduce the likelihood of fatalities. With that in mind, we look at the commercial van speed limits in the UK.
If you’re hiring or borrowing a vehicle that doesn’t exceed two tons when fully loaded, then the van speed limits are the same as for a car:
Built-up areas: 30mph
Single carriageways: 60mph
Dual carriageways: 70mph
Motorways: 70mph
If your van is heavier than two tons, the rules for goods vehicles weighing up to 7.5 tons must be followed:
Built-up areas: 30mph
Single carriageways: 50mph
Dual carriageways: 60mph
Motorways: 70mph
Roughly speaking, the rule of thumb is that vans should travel at 10mph slower than cars. However, if a trailer is being towed, the commercial van speed limits are slightly reduced. On dual carriageways and motorways, your speed should not exceed 60mph, regardless of whether your vehicle is allowed to do 70mph in other circumstances.
Speeding in a van is more hazardous than in a car for one simple reason: the vehicle’s size and weight. The heavier and larger the vehicle, the more damage it can potentially do in the event of an accident. When announcing the new commercial van speed limits, the UK Sentencing Council confirmed that the type of vehicle will be taken into account when deciding penalties.
There are other factors that would also contribute, including whether the offence took place near a school, in heavy traffic or where there is a high volume of pedestrians.
The databases which power your Satnav may not be up-to-date with recent changes that have been made, so you should always check road signs and your speedometer. More importantly, they don’t take into account what vehicle you’re driving, so might be giving you inaccurate speed limit information.
Here are our pointers for ensuring you stay with the legal van speed limits:
Some vehicles are, of course, fitted with speed limiters to help drivers stay safe on the roads. For help with finding a suitable used van for your business, visit Vanwise Group in Harlow today. Our flexible Contract Hire packages ensure you’ll get a competitive price on your chosen model.