Raising lorry speed limits in Scotland boosts efficiency and cuts emissions

A consultation has been launched by Transport Scotland to gather the public’s opinions on lowering the national speed limit on single carriageway roads from 60mph to 50mph and to increase speed limits for goods vehicles over 7.5 tonnes on single carriageways from 40mph to 50mph and dual carriageways from 50mph to 60mph.

It said analysis indicated that the changes could significantly reduce injury collisions, while maintaining journey times and enhancing journey time reliability.

Logistics UK said increasing the limit for trucks would bring Scotland into line with England and Wales, which changed the law on speed limits a decade ago, and would boost efficiency and cut CO2 emissions.

Senior policy manager Alexandra Herdman said: “Any changes to the speed limit need to be evidence-based and the evidence from Wales and England is clear: safety has not been compromised by an increased speed limit, HGVs are able to travel for longer periods closer to the optimum speeds for reducing carbon emissions and driver stress and frustration, among HGV drivers and general traffic, has reduced as HGVs can now travel at higher speeds.

“And Scotland’s own experience is that when the speed limits for HGVs on the single carriageway sections of the A9 were increased to 50mph and average speed cameras were installed, there was a step change in driver behaviour and a 31% reduction in the number of people being killed and seriously injured.”

Martin Reid, RHA policy director for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, said: “The Scottish government should be commended for consulting on the change to HGV speed limits. The 50mph trial on the A9 has resulted in a reduction in risky overtaking with a resultant improvement in safety, backed up by a decade of data from roads in England and Wales.

“The extension of a 50mph limit across all Scottish single-carriageway A-roads should be expected to yield similar results.”

The consultation runs until 5 March.