The M1 speed limit is 70 mph (112 km/h) for cars and motorcycles, and 60 mph (96 km/h) if you are towing a caravan or trailer. Much of the road is smart motorway, so a gantry can set a lower mandatory limit at any time, and roadworks usually bring a temporary 50 mph limit. If you drive the M1 regularly, the number that matters is the one in the red circle.
| M1 section | Type | Hard shoulder |
|---|---|---|
| Junctions 6a to 10 | Controlled motorway | Permanent |
| Junctions 10 to 13 | Dynamic hard shoulder | Used as a lane when traffic requires |
| Junctions 13 to 16 | All lane running | None |
| Junctions 16 to 19 | All lane running | None |
| Junctions 23a to 24 | Controlled motorway | Permanent |
| Junctions 24 to 25 | All lane running | None |
| Junctions 25 to 28 | Controlled motorway | Permanent |
| Junctions 28 to 31 | All lane running | None |
| Junctions 31 to 32 | Controlled motorway | Permanent |
| Junctions 32 to 35a | All lane running | None |
| Junctions 39 to 42 | All lane running | None |
What is the speed limit on the M1?
The speed limit on the M1 is 70 mph for cars and motorcycles unless signs show a lower limit. There is no separate M1 figure: it uses the national motorway limits on GOV.UK. Bear in mind that Highway Code rule 125 calls the speed limit "the absolute maximum", so rain, traffic or a queue ahead can all make a lower speed the right one.
What is the M1 speed limit for vans?
Most vans can do 70 mph on the M1, because goods vehicles up to 7.5 tonnes laden have the same motorway limit as a car. That drops to 60 mph if the vehicle is articulated or towing a trailer. Once you leave the motorway the difference shows up, as most vans then have lower limits than cars.
What is the M1 speed limit for lorries, coaches and towing?
Lorries over 7.5 tonnes laden have a limit of 60 mph on the M1, and so does anything towing a caravan or trailer. Buses, coaches and minibuses over 12 m long are also limited to 60 mph, while those up to 12 m long can do 70 mph.
Is the M1 a smart motorway?
Yes, long parts of the M1 are smart motorway, and the road has all three types. The National Highways network map lists eleven M1 sections, which the table above sets out. Your limit can change on all of them, but the road layout does not stay the same from one to the next.
- Controlled motorway: junctions 6a to 10, 23a to 24, 25 to 28 and 31 to 32. National Highways says these use technology to manage speed and keep a permanent hard shoulder.
- Dynamic hard shoulder: junctions 10 to 13, between Luton Airport and Bedford. The hard shoulder is used as a traffic lane when traffic flow requires it, and it is one of seven such sections in the country.
- All lane running: junctions 13 to 16, 16 to 19, 24 to 25, 28 to 31, 32 to 35a and 39 to 42. The hard shoulder is a running lane all the time.
The government cancelled plans for new smart motorways in April 2023, so this list is not expected to keep growing. National Highways says its latest data, for 2018 to 2022, indicates all three types are safer than conventional motorways for deaths and serious injuries. Our guide to smart motorways and variable speed limits explains each sign you will meet.
Are there speed cameras on the M1?
Yes, there are speed cameras on the M1, and a camera sign on a gantry shows you are in a section where speeds may be detected. National Highways supplies the equipment and the police are responsible for enforcement. Each camera records an image of the vehicle, its registration number, speed, time and date, along with photographic evidence of the limit displayed. All speed detection equipment used for law enforcement on these roads has Home Office Type Approval.
We found no current public list of every camera on the M1, northbound or southbound, so we do not quote a number. The safest habit is the simple one: treat the whole road as enforced, in both directions.
Do M1 speed cameras flash?
You may see a flash that has nothing to do with your speed. National Highways says the enforcement device runs a self-check when a limit changes or a lane closes, and that passing drivers may notice a flash from it. It adds that this does not necessarily mean a vehicle has been identified as over the limit.
Are there average speed cameras on the M1?
Average speed cameras appear on the M1 around roadworks, and they come and go with each scheme. Between junctions 30 and 31, for example, National Highways said in December 2024 that the works were over, the national limit was back, and the cameras would be removed, with "cameras not in use" signs until then. Our guide to average speed cameras in the UK explains how they measure your speed.
Why does the speed limit keep changing on the M1?
The limit changes on the M1 to manage traffic flow and keep people safe when something is happening on the road. National Highways says limits may be lowered for traffic congestion that is happening or likely, roadworks, traffic officers in vulnerable locations, extreme weather and incidents. The reason may not be obvious where you are, but it does not need to be: a limit in a red circle is always enforceable.
Three rules cover nearly every situation you will meet on the M1:
- Follow the red circle. Highway Code rule 261 says you must not exceed a limit displayed within a red circle on a sign.
- Do not read a blank sign as the end. A blank or unlit display means the previous instruction still applies.
- Wait for the national speed limit symbol. That is how National Highways tells you a lower limit has ended.
Is there a 60 mph air quality limit on the M1?
National Highways says it has removed, or is removing, its 60 mph air quality limits, and that M5 junctions 1 to 2 at Oldbury is the only location where one remains. So the M1 is not on that list. If a gantry shows 60, it applies for another reason, and you follow it just the same.
What does a red X mean on the M1?
A red X means the lane is closed, and you must not drive in it. Highway Code rule 258 says a red X identifies a closed lane where people, stopped vehicles or other hazards are present. You must follow the signs and move to an open lane safely, and a sign will tell you when the lane has reopened by showing a speed limit or the word END.
This matters especially on all lane running sections, where a stopped vehicle may be in a live lane. National Highways says it has upgraded enforcement cameras so they can detect vehicles passing a red X or entering a closed lane, and has added radar-based stopped vehicle detection to every all lane running motorway.
Where are the emergency areas on the M1?
Emergency areas are spaced along the smart sections, and more have been added to the M1 in recent years. National Highways also says it has installed more than 700 extra signs showing the distance to the next emergency stopping place. The M1 retrofit programme added these:
- Junctions 16 to 19, Northamptonshire: 18 new emergency areas.
- Junctions 23a to 25, Leicestershire and Derbyshire: 6 new emergency areas, finished just before Christmas 2024.
- Junctions 28 to 30, Derbyshire: 19 new emergency areas, with the road back at the national limit on 9 March 2025.
- Junctions 30 to 31: 10 new emergency areas, open since December 2024.
What roadworks are on the M1 in 2026?
The main M1 work at the end of 2026 is in Hertfordshire and south Yorkshire, and much of it happens at night. Dates can change at short notice, so check for closures before you leave.
- Junctions 6a to 10: signs, signals, cameras and sensors are being upgraded, starting on 2 March 2026 and due to finish in 2026-27. Overnight closures were planned southbound between junctions 9 and 8 until 5 November 2026.
- Junctions 36 to 37: resurfacing runs from 5 October 2026 to spring 2027. The southbound carriageway closes overnight from 8pm to 6am, Monday to Friday, until early December, and the northbound side follows from January.
- Junctions 16 to 19: remedial work at four emergency areas brought a lane 1 closure and a 50 mph limit from June, with completion expected in August 2026.
Where a roadworks limit applies, National Highways says the 50 mph limit normally appears on temporary metal signs, followed by blank gantries. Highway Code rule 288 says you must not exceed any temporary maximum speed limit, and if you are unsure which limit applies, National Highways recommends following the lower one.
What does the M1 mean for your next drive?
On a long M1 run, plan for your limit to change more than once. Keep your eyes on the gantries, take the left lane when you can, leave at least a two-second gap, and stop at a service area if you feel tired, as the Highway Code advises on long motorway stretches. A few minutes spent settling at the right speed is a small price for arriving safely.
Ghost makes those long runs easier. It runs next to Google Maps and warns you safely from the background, with a banner and a tone over your music, about 700 m ahead of known fixed speed cameras and average-speed zones. As you get closer it shows the exact distance clearly and alerts you again at 250 m. It works on your phone, CarPlay, Android Auto and Apple Watch, and with more than 125,000 speed cameras worldwide it stays with you long after the M1 ends.
