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| Single carriageway speed limits for lorries to rise | Single carriageway speed limits for lorries to rise |
| (34 minutes later) | |
| The speed limit for lorries on single carriageway main roads in England and Wales will rise from 40mph to 50mph, the government has announced. | The speed limit for lorries on single carriageway main roads in England and Wales will rise from 40mph to 50mph, the government has announced. |
| The move, affecting heavy goods vehicles weighing more than 7.5 tonnes, will come into force in early 2015. | The move, affecting heavy goods vehicles weighing more than 7.5 tonnes, will come into force in early 2015. |
| The speed limit for cars on these roads is 60mph. | The speed limit for cars on these roads is 60mph. |
| Motorist groups welcomed the change, but the Green Party said it would involve "greatly increasing the risk and severity of crashes". | |
| Transport minister Claire Perry claimed the higher speed limit would cut congestion, reduce dangerous overtaking, and save road haulage firms £11m a year. | |
| "This change will remove a 20mph difference between lorry and car speed limits, cutting dangerous overtaking and bringing permitted lorry speeds into line with other large vehicles like coaches and caravans," Ms Perry said. | "This change will remove a 20mph difference between lorry and car speed limits, cutting dangerous overtaking and bringing permitted lorry speeds into line with other large vehicles like coaches and caravans," Ms Perry said. |
| "Current speed limits for HGVs were introduced around 50 years ago and need to be updated given improved vehicle technology." | "Current speed limits for HGVs were introduced around 50 years ago and need to be updated given improved vehicle technology." |
| Geoff Dunning, from the Road Haulage Association, welcomed the change. "The current limit is long out-of-date and the frustration it generates causes unnecessary road safety risks," he said. | Geoff Dunning, from the Road Haulage Association, welcomed the change. "The current limit is long out-of-date and the frustration it generates causes unnecessary road safety risks," he said. |
| 'Common sense' | 'Common sense' |
| The government is also proposing to increase the speed limit for lorries on dual carriageways from 50mph to 60mph. | The government is also proposing to increase the speed limit for lorries on dual carriageways from 50mph to 60mph. |
| Depending on the outcome of a consultation on the subject, this could also come into effect in early 2015. | Depending on the outcome of a consultation on the subject, this could also come into effect in early 2015. |
| The existing speed limits continue to apply until then. | The existing speed limits continue to apply until then. |
| AA president Edmund King said: "This seems like a common sense move. | AA president Edmund King said: "This seems like a common sense move. |
| "This 20mph speed differential can lead to bunching and dangerous overtaking manoeuvres. So we welcome the plans to allow trucks to legally travel at 50mph on these roads to end this frustrating, dangerous, historic anomaly." | "This 20mph speed differential can lead to bunching and dangerous overtaking manoeuvres. So we welcome the plans to allow trucks to legally travel at 50mph on these roads to end this frustrating, dangerous, historic anomaly." |
| Mr King said an AA/Populus survey showed that 81% of drivers did not know the legal national speed limit for lorries on single carriageway main roads. | Mr King said an AA/Populus survey showed that 81% of drivers did not know the legal national speed limit for lorries on single carriageway main roads. |
| "So it is no wonder other drivers get frustrated, perhaps thinking the lorry driver was just being awkward, lost or was trying to save fuel," he said. | "So it is no wonder other drivers get frustrated, perhaps thinking the lorry driver was just being awkward, lost or was trying to save fuel," he said. |
| "Smoother traffic flow also provides some economic benefit by improving journey times. We do appreciate that some have concerns about letting lorries travel faster but a more realistic limit should lead to better compliance by all." | "Smoother traffic flow also provides some economic benefit by improving journey times. We do appreciate that some have concerns about letting lorries travel faster but a more realistic limit should lead to better compliance by all." |
| 'Downright lethal' | |
| Mr King said the AA would study the dual carriageway lorry proposal. | Mr King said the AA would study the dual carriageway lorry proposal. |
| He added: "Lorries today are much safer than they were many decades ago and so it should be feasible for them to travel faster to help the economy and smooth traffic flow as well as reducing tailgating and crashes." | He added: "Lorries today are much safer than they were many decades ago and so it should be feasible for them to travel faster to help the economy and smooth traffic flow as well as reducing tailgating and crashes." |
| But Green Party transport spokeswoman Caroline Russell said: "The government say they want to reduce the speed differential between lorries and cars to improve safety, but their move to raise the speed limit for lorries ignores basic physics. | |
| "Lorries are heavy and by increasing the speed at which they travel, the government is greatly increasing the risk and severity of crashes. | |
| "By raising the limit for lorries they are also increasing the speed differential between lorries and vulnerable road users: people walking and riding on bikes or on horses. | |
| "This is thoughtless and downright lethal for anyone getting about on rural roads under their own steam. " |