The national speed limit in the UK for cars and motorcycles is 60 mph (96 km/h) on single carriageways and 70 mph (112 km/h) on dual carriageways and motorways. Roads with street lights generally have a lower default of 30 mph, or 20 mph in Wales, unless signs show otherwise. Your own number can be lower still, because vans, lorries, buses and anything towing have limits of their own.
| Vehicle | Single carriageway | Dual carriageway | Motorway |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cars, motorcycles, car-derived vans, dual-purpose vehicles | 60 mph | 70 mph | 70 mph |
| The same vehicles towing caravans or trailers | 50 mph | 60 mph | 60 mph |
| Motorhomes up to 3.05 tonnes unladen | 60 mph | 70 mph | 70 mph |
| Motorhomes over 3.05 tonnes unladen | 50 mph | 60 mph | 70 mph |
| Buses, coaches and minibuses up to 12 m long | 50 mph | 60 mph | 70 mph |
| Buses, coaches and minibuses over 12 m long | 50 mph | 60 mph | 60 mph |
| Goods vehicles up to 7.5 tonnes laden | 50 mph | 60 mph | 70 mph (60 mph if articulated or towing a trailer) |
| Goods vehicles over 7.5 tonnes laden, England and Wales | 50 mph | 60 mph | 60 mph |
| Goods vehicles over 7.5 tonnes laden, Scotland | 40 mph | 50 mph | 60 mph |
What does the national speed limit sign look like?
The national speed limit sign is a white circle with a black diagonal stripe, and the Highway Code captions it "National speed limit applies". There is no number on it, which is why it causes so much confusion. The sign is telling you to work out the limit from two things: the type of road you are on and the type of vehicle you are driving.
Does the national speed limit sign mean 70 mph?
No, the sign only means 70 mph for a car on a dual carriageway or motorway. On a single carriageway the same sign means 60 mph for a car, and 50 mph for most vans and for a car towing a caravan or trailer.
Is the national speed limit 60 or 70 mph?
It is both, depending on the road. For a car, a single carriageway means 60 mph, while a dual carriageway or a motorway means 70 mph. If you cannot tell which road you are on, the safest choice is the lower figure until you can.
What is the national speed limit on each type of road?
The national speed limit for a car is 60 mph on a single carriageway, 70 mph on a dual carriageway and 70 mph on a motorway. The difference between the first two comes down to how the road is built, not how many lanes it has.
What is the national speed limit on a single carriageway?
The national speed limit on a single carriageway is 60 mph for cars and motorcycles. A single carriageway has no central reservation between the two directions of traffic. It can still have more than two lanes: the Highway Code for Northern Ireland gives advice for single carriageways with three lanes and with four or more, so counting lanes will not tell you which limit applies.
What is the national speed limit on a dual carriageway?
The national speed limit on a dual carriageway is 70 mph for cars and motorcycles. A dual carriageway is a road with a central reservation separating the two carriageways, so look for that physical divide rather than for painted lines.
What is the speed limit on a UK motorway?
The speed limit on a UK motorway is 70 mph for cars and motorcycles, and 60 mph when towing a caravan or trailer. Signs can set a lower limit. On many motorways that limit changes during the day, and our guide to smart motorways and variable speed limits explains how to read those signs.
What is the speed limit on roads with street lights?
A road with street lights generally has a limit of 30 mph (48 km/h) in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and 20 mph (32 km/h) in Wales, unless signs show otherwise. GOV.UK says this applies to single and dual carriageways with street lights, and the Highway Code excludes motorways. So a lit dual carriageway is not automatically a 70 mph road.
These lit roads are often called restricted roads. Department for Transport guidance defines the street lighting as lamps placed not more than 200 yards apart, and says a 30 mph limit applies where there are three or more lamps throwing light on the carriageway, unless an order or signs say otherwise.
- In England: the same guidance says speed limit repeater signs must not be placed along a road with a 30 mph limit, so the street lights themselves are your reminder.
- In Wales: the Welsh Government says there are no repeater signs on default 20 mph roads, for the same reason. Read more in our guide to 20 mph limits in Wales, London and elsewhere.
What is the national speed limit for vans, lorries and towing?
Most vans, lorries, buses and towing vehicles have a national limit of 50 mph on single carriageways and 60 mph on dual carriageways, which is 10 mph below a car on both. The motorway figure then depends on the vehicle, as the table above shows.
What is the speed limit for vans?
Most vans must follow the goods vehicle limits for their weight, so a van up to 7.5 tonnes laden has a limit of 50 mph on a single carriageway, 60 mph on a dual carriageway and 70 mph on a motorway. Two exceptions use car limits instead:
- Car-derived vans: vehicles up to 2 tonnes laden may qualify.
- Dual-purpose vehicles: vehicles up to 2.04 tonnes unladen may qualify.
The word "may" matters here, so check your vehicle's details rather than assuming. On the motorway, the 70 mph figure drops to 60 mph if the goods vehicle is articulated or towing a trailer.
What is the speed limit when towing a caravan or trailer?
A car, motorcycle, car-derived van or dual-purpose vehicle towing a caravan or trailer has a limit of 50 mph on single carriageways and 60 mph on both dual carriageways and motorways.
What is the speed limit for motorhomes?
A motorhome up to 3.05 tonnes unladen has the same limits as a car. Above 3.05 tonnes, the limits are 50 mph on single carriageways, 60 mph on dual carriageways and 70 mph on motorways. A motorhome counts as a goods vehicle if it carries goods for sale, is used as a workshop or is used for storage.
What is the speed limit for buses, coaches and minibuses?
Buses, coaches and minibuses have a limit of 50 mph on single carriageways and 60 mph on dual carriageways. On motorways it is 70 mph up to 12 metres long and 60 mph above that. GOV.UK also says speed limiters are required on vehicles with more than 8 passenger seats and on goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes laden.
Is the national speed limit different in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland?
Yes, in a few specific ways, although the 60 and 70 mph limits for cars are the same across the UK. Here is what changes when you cross a border.
- Wales: the default on roads with street lights is 20 mph rather than 30 mph. The national limits for single carriageways, dual carriageways and motorways match the rest of Great Britain.
- Scotland: goods vehicles over 7.5 tonnes have a limit of 40 mph on single carriageways and 50 mph on dual carriageways, compared with 50 mph and 60 mph in England and Wales. Their motorway limit is 60 mph in all three.
- Northern Ireland: nidirect gives 30 mph in built-up areas, 60 mph outside them and up to 70 mph on motorways and dual carriageways. The GOV.UK table has no separate row for heavy goods vehicles there, so drivers of those vehicles should check the Highway Code for Northern Ireland.
Do new drivers in Northern Ireland have a 45 mph limit?
Some still do. Graduated Driver Licensing began on 1 October 2026 and sets no speed restriction for newly qualified drivers. However, drivers who passed before that date keep the amber R plate and the 45 mph restriction for one year, and so do learners who held a car provisional licence before that date and stay on the old rules by passing before 1 April 2027.
Could the limits in Northern Ireland change?
They could, but nothing has been announced. The Department for Infrastructure consulted from 14 January to 22 April 2026 on 20 mph limits, the national limit on rural single and dual carriageways, and limits for heavy goods vehicles. Its response report of 12 August 2026 says the findings will help inform its ongoing consideration of speed limit policy.
Are speed limits in mph across the whole UK?
Yes, UK road signs show limits in miles per hour. If you are driving north from the Republic of Ireland, nidirect points out that the units change at the border: Northern Ireland uses mph and the Republic uses km/h.
Can a road have a lower limit than the national speed limit?
Yes, and the sign on the road always takes priority over the national figure. GOV.UK says councils can set their own signed limits, such as 20 mph zones near schools, and other roads can carry a signed limit below the national figure.
Lower limits can also be temporary. The Highway Code says you must not exceed any temporary maximum speed limit, and roadworks are the most common place to meet one. These sections often use average speed cameras, which measure your speed over a whole stretch rather than at one point.
Is it always safe to drive at the national speed limit?
No, because the Highway Code says the speed limit is the absolute maximum and does not mean it is safe to drive at that speed whatever the conditions. Rule 125 asks you to reduce your speed in these situations:
- when the road layout or condition presents hazards, such as bends
- when sharing the road with pedestrians, cyclists, horse riders, horse-drawn vehicles and motorcyclists
- when weather conditions make it safer to do so
- when driving at night, as it is harder to see other road users
A narrow country lane can carry the national speed limit sign, and 60 mph would be far too fast there. A useful check is the rule in the Highway Code that you should be able to stop well within the distance you can see to be clear. Our guide to Highway Code stopping distances shows how much road that takes.
What does the national speed limit mean for your next drive?
When you pass the white sign with the black stripe, ask two quick questions: what kind of road is this, and what am I driving? In a car, that gives you 60 mph on a single carriageway and 70 mph on a dual carriageway or motorway, or 50 and 60 mph if you are towing. Then let the bends, the weather and the people around you decide whether a lower speed is the right one.
Ghost makes those drives calmer. It runs in the background next to any navigation app and warns you about known fixed speed cameras and average-speed zones about 700 m ahead, then again at 250 m, with one simple tone and no voice. It works on CarPlay, Android Auto and Apple Watch and covers more than 125,000 speed cameras worldwide, so you can keep your eyes on the road and your mind on arriving safely.
