Scope of the review

Work has been undertaken to identify and appraise options that could be used to enhance safety on Scotland’s roads. This involved an extensive literature review and engagement with national and international partners to understand global and national best practices in managing speed. A key finding of the review confirmed that there is an internationally recognised link between higher vehicle speeds and increased collision rates and severity.

Following the review and engagement, initiatives were identified and several of these related to a review of speed limits for different road types and vehicle classifications. This work aimed to reduce vehicle speeds to enhance Scotland’s road safety performance.

During the review process, options have been considered which also included proposed reductions to speed limits on motorways and dual carriageways. Impact assessment work found that these changes could lead to a significant increase in journey times of approximately 15%. This could have a significant detrimental impact upon the economy including for businesses and tourism. Recognising that these are already Scotland’s safest roads and the adverse economic impact, these options have been discounted.

Current Speed Limits and Compliance

At present in Scotland the following Speed Limits apply to various vehicle types:

Vehicle type	30mph - built up areas	Single Carriageway	Dual Carriageway	Motorway
Cars and Motorcycles - including car derived vans up to 2 tonnes maximum laden weight	30	60	70	70
Cars Towing - including car derived vans and motorcycles	30	50	60	60
Goods Vehicles - Not exceeding 7.5 tonnes maximum laden weight. *60mph if articulated or towing a trailer	30	50	60	70*
Goods Vehicle - Exceeding 7.5 tonnes maximum laden weight. **A 50mph speed limit applies on the A9 from Perth to Inverness from October 28th 2014.	30	40**	50	60

Data from the Scotland Scale of Change report, found in annex M of the National Speed Management Review – Milestone 3 report, shows that drivers in Scotland generally comply with 60 mph speed limits on single carriageway roads where the average speed for cars is 51 mph. Further information on this can be found in the National Speed Management Review - Milestone 3 report.

In 2016, the average speed of goods vehicles over 7.5 tonnes in Scotland was 44.6mph on single carriageways and 47.8mph on dual carriageways.