Van Speed Limits | Do you know the rules?

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After a hard days work on the job, the last thing you want to hear is that you could be facing a speeding fine of up to £2,500. That’s why it’s important to keep up to date with the latest driving speed laws that affects both cars and vans.

Overall it’s pretty clear cut, but there are a few exceptions which might catch you out.

If you’re driving a van, these are the important numbers to remember:

Built-up areas: 30mph
Single carriageways: 60mph
Dual carriageways: 70mph
Motorways: 70mph

Pretty much the same as a car right? The difference however, lies in vans that exceed two tonnes when fully loaded. If your van is heavier than that, then you are bound by the speed limits that apply to goods vehicles that weigh no more than 7.5 tonnes, which are as follows:

Built-up areas: 30mph
Single carriageways: 50mph (10mph less than a car)
Dual carriageways: 60mph  (10mph less than a car)
Motorways: 70mph

As you can see, there is a 10mpg drop on both the single and dual carriageways. So keep this in mind next time you find yourself on one of these roads!

The major confusion for van speed limits revolves around car-derived van and dual purpose vans. When we look at the speed limits they are as follows:

Built-up areas: 30mph
Single carriageways: 60mph
Dual carriageways: 70mph
Motorways: 70mph

Looks the same as a car right? Correct. The issue however is defining what a car-derived van and a dual purpose van actually is, so we’ve cleared it up for you.

Car-derived Van The UK road traffic regulations state that a car-derived van (or CDV) is ‘a goods vehicle which is constructed or adapted as a derivative of a passenger vehicle and which has a maximum laden weight not exceeding 2.0 tonnes.

Dual Purpose Van This is officially ‘a vehicle constructed or adapted for the carriage both of passengers and of goods and designed to weigh no more than 2,040kg when unladen.’

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