For a car in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, UK speed limits are 30mph in built-up areas, 60mph on single carriageways, and 70mph on dual carriageways and motorways. In Wales the built-up default is 20mph. Vans and vehicles towing a trailer or caravan have lower limits, and any road with street lights is 30mph unless a sign says otherwise.
That is the whole answer in one paragraph, and for most learners it is the version that sticks. The trouble is the exam, and real roads, ask for the detail: what changes when you are in a van, what happens the moment you hitch up a trailer, and how you are supposed to know the limit on a country lane with no signs anywhere. This guide lays it all out with the exact figures from the Highway Code and gov.uk, so you can quote them cold in the theory test and drive to them without second-guessing.
What is the national speed limit in the UK?
The national speed limit is the default maximum that applies when no lower local limit is signed. For cars and motorcycles it is 60mph on a single carriageway and 70mph on a dual carriageway or motorway. In built-up areas the default is 30mph (20mph in Wales). These are set out in the Highway Code and on the gov.uk speed limits page.
It helps to think of “national speed limit” as a rule rather than a single number. The white circular sign with a black diagonal stripe means “the national limit for your road and your vehicle applies here”. What that works out to depends on two things: the type of road, and what you are driving. A car sees 60 on that sign along a single carriageway; a car towing a caravan sees 50 on the same sign, same road. The sign does not change – your limit does.
Speed limits are an absolute maximum, not a target. Rule 125 of the Highway Code is blunt about it: the limit is the maximum, and it does not mean it is safe to drive at that speed in all conditions. On a wet, narrow, tree-lined 60 lane, the safe speed is often well below 60.
UK speed limit table by vehicle type
Here is the core data, taken from the official gov.uk speed limits table. Figures are mph, with the Wales built-up default noted separately. This is the table examiners and the Highway Code work from, so it is worth committing the top two rows to memory.
| Vehicle type | Built-up area | Single carriageway | Dual carriageway | Motorway |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Car, motorcycle, car-derived van, dual-purpose vehicle | 30 (20 in Wales) | 60 | 70 | 70 |
| Car etc. towing a caravan or trailer | 30 (20 in Wales) | 50 | 60 | 60 |
| Motorhome up to 3.05 tonnes unladen | 30 (20 in Wales) | 60 | 70 | 70 |
| Motorhome over 3.05 tonnes unladen | 30 (20 in Wales) | 50 | 60 | 70 |
| Goods vehicle up to 7.5 tonnes (most larger vans) | 30 (20 in Wales) | 50 | 60 | 70 |
| Goods vehicle over 7.5 tonnes (England and Wales) | 30 (20 in Wales) | 50 | 60 | 60 |
| Bus, coach or minibus up to 12m | 30 (20 in Wales) | 50 | 60 | 70 |
Two patterns do most of the work here. First, built-up limits are 30 (or 20 in Wales) for almost everything – the vehicle type barely matters in town. Second, the bigger or more loaded the vehicle, the more the open-road limits drop below the car figures. Get those two ideas and the rest of the table is just detail.
What are the speed limits for vans in the UK?
Most vans in the UK are limited to 30mph in built-up areas, 50mph on single carriageways, 60mph on dual carriageways and 70mph on motorways. That is because ordinary vans follow the speed limits for goods vehicles up to 7.5 tonnes, which are lower than car limits on the open road. The important exception is the “car-derived van”, covered below.
This catches a lot of new drivers out, especially anyone who passes and then borrows a works van. On a national-speed-limit single carriageway you would drive a car at 60 but a Transit at 50 – a 10mph difference on the same stretch of road, from the same sign. The van’s limit is lower even though nothing about the road changed. gov.uk is explicit that most vans “have a lower speed limit than cars” and “must follow the speed limits for goods vehicles of the same weight”.
What is a car-derived van, and why does it matter?
A car-derived van is a van built on a car body and weighing no more than 2 tonnes when laden (loaded). Because it is based on a car, gov.uk confirms it keeps the same speed limits as a car: 60 single, 70 dual, 70 motorway. A closely related category, the “dual-purpose vehicle” (no more than 2.04 tonnes unladen, roughly older 4×4-style vehicles), also gets car limits.
The catch is you cannot tell a car-derived van from an ordinary small van by looking at it. Something like a car-based small van may qualify; a purpose-built panel van almost certainly will not. If you drive a van for work and are not sure which category it falls into, check the V5C and the manufacturer’s classification rather than guessing – the difference is a genuine 10mph on open A-roads, and it is your licence on the line, not the van’s.
What speed can you go when towing a trailer or caravan?
When towing a caravan or trailer with a car, the UK limits are 30mph in built-up areas, 50mph on single carriageways, and 60mph on dual carriageways and motorways. The built-up limit is unchanged from a car, but every open-road limit drops by 10mph the moment you hitch up.
So a car doing a legal 70 on the motorway must come down to 60 with a caravan on the back, and 70 becomes 60 on a dual carriageway too. On a single carriageway it is 50 rather than 60. These reduced towing limits are in the gov.uk table and apply as soon as the trailer is attached, loaded or empty.
There is one extra rule worth knowing for motorways. Under Rule 265 of the Highway Code, a vehicle towing a trailer must not use the right-hand (outermost) lane of a motorway with three or more lanes, except in limited circumstances such as lane closures. So towing is not just “10mph slower” – it also changes which lane you are allowed in.
The streetlights rule: how to tell the limit with no signs
If a road has street lights and no speed-limit signs, the limit is almost always 30mph (20mph in Wales). This is the single most useful rule of thumb for real driving, and it comes straight from gov.uk: a 30mph limit usually applies to all traffic on all roads with street lighting unless signs show otherwise.
The logic is that regular street lighting is the legal marker of a “restricted road”, which carries a 30mph limit by default. So on a lit residential street with no repeater signs, treat it as 30. The moment the character of the road changes – the lights stop and you see a national-speed-limit sign, or a red-bordered sign gives a specific number – the limit changes with it.
A few things to hold in your head so this rule does not trip you up:
- Street lights, no signs = 30 (20 in Wales). This is your default in towns and villages.
- Repeater signs (small round signs on lamp posts or poles) confirm limits other than 30 on lit roads – if you see repeated 40 signs, it is a 40, not a 30.
- National speed limit sign (white circle, black diagonal stripe) means the default open-road limit for your vehicle applies – usually 60 on a single carriageway for a car.
- Red-bordered circular signs show a specific local limit and override the national one, and that red ring is the same “this is an order” code used across UK road signs. A 50 on a bendy A-road, or a signed 20 near a school, both work this way.
If you are ever genuinely unsure and there is nothing to go on, the safe habit is to assume 30 until a sign tells you otherwise. Slower and legal beats faster and guessing.
20mph zones and 20mph limits: what is the difference?
A 20mph limit is a straightforward maximum shown by 20mph signs, enforced the same way as any other limit. A 20mph zone is a wider area, usually with traffic-calming features like speed humps or chicanes, where 20mph applies throughout and you may not see a repeater sign at every point. Both mean the same thing for your speedometer: keep it at or below 20.
These have spread fast. Many councils have rolled out 20mph limits across residential areas, and since September 2023 Wales made 20mph the default limit on most restricted roads that were previously 30 – which is why the “20 in Wales” note runs through the whole table above. gov.uk lists a 20mph zone near a school as a typical example of a locally set limit. If you learn or test in Wales, treat lit town roads as 20 unless a sign lifts you back to 30.
What about motorway speed limits?
The motorway speed limit for a car is 70mph. The same 70mph applies to cars on dual carriageways. Larger vehicles and anything towing are lower: a car towing a caravan is limited to 60 on the motorway, and heavier goods vehicles are capped at 60 too.
Watch for variable speed limits on smart motorways. When a limit such as 60, 50 or 40 is shown inside a red circle on the overhead gantries, that signed limit is mandatory and replaces the national 70 until it clears. Rule 261 of the Highway Code covers this: you must not exceed the maximum limits for the road and your vehicle, and on motorways with variable limits those signed figures apply. Treat a gantry limit exactly like any other red-ringed sign – it is the law for that stretch, not advice.
If the difference between a dual carriageway and a motorway is fuzzy for you (it matters, because some limits differ for larger vehicles), our guide on how to tell a dual carriageway from a motorway breaks down the signage and the rules side by side.
Which Highway Code rule covers speed limits?
Speed limits are set out in Rule 124 of the Highway Code, which states you MUST NOT exceed the maximum speed limits for the road and for your vehicle, and points to the official speed limits table. The word “MUST NOT” matters: in the Highway Code, capitalised MUST and MUST NOT are legal requirements backed by law, not advice.
A handful of neighbouring rules round out the topic, and they come up in theory questions:
- Rule 124 – the speed limits table and the duty not to exceed the limit for your road and vehicle.
- Rule 125 – the limit is an absolute maximum, not a safe target for all conditions.
- Rule 261 – you must not exceed limits on motorways, including signed variable limits.
- Rule 265 – a vehicle towing a trailer must not use the outer lane of a motorway with three or more lanes (except in specific situations).
Speeding is enforced with penalties: exceeding a limit carries a minimum of 3 penalty points and a fine, and can rise sharply the further over you are, per gov.uk. Points and fines are the examiner-proof reason the Highway Code phrases Rule 124 as a MUST NOT.
Speed limits and the theory test
You do not need every row of that table for the theory test, but you do need the car figures, the towing reductions, and the streetlights rule cold – they are common question territory. The bank leans on exactly the facts in this guide: the 30/60/70 pattern for cars, the drop to 50/60/60 when towing, and how you read the limit with no repeater signs. The 60-or-70 question is the one that catches most people, so we unpick it properly in our guide to the dual carriageway speed limit.
The wider skill is judgement, and that is what the practical test rewards. Knowing a lane is a 60 is one thing; reading that a wet, blind-bend 60 wants 40 out of you is the bit that keeps you safe and keeps examiners happy. Our guide on how to pass your driving test first time goes deeper on speed judgement and the faults that most often cost people the pass, and the UK roundabout rules explained covers entry speed if that is a weak point.
If you are past the basics and want to sharpen speed judgement and manoeuvres before test day, our Improver intensive course is built for part-trained drivers who need focused hours rather than starting from scratch. You can see how our intensive courses work or book your course when you are ready. We get you test-ready and confident; the practical test itself is always booked and taken through the DVSA.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will I get a ticket for doing 33 in a 30?
There is no legal “buffer” – the limit is 30, and 31 is technically over it. In practice, ACPO guidance many forces use suggests speed enforcement typically starts around 10% plus 2mph (so roughly 35 in a 30), which is why you may be offered a speed awareness course or a fine at that point rather than at 31. But that is police discretion, not a legal allowance. Treat the number on the sign as the maximum and leave yourself margin.
How do I know if the limit is 60 or 70?
Look at the road type, not the speed. If you are on a single carriageway (one carriageway, traffic in both directions, usually no central reservation), the national limit for a car is 60. If it is a dual carriageway (two carriageways split by a central reservation or barrier) or a motorway, it is 70 for a car. The national-speed-limit sign is the same white-with-black-stripe circle on both – the road tells you the number.
Can you do 75mph on a motorway?
No. The motorway limit for a car is 70mph, so 75 is over the limit and can attract points and a fine. There is no separate faster allowance for light traffic or good conditions. Some forces apply a small enforcement tolerance in practice, but you should never rely on it – the legal maximum is 70.
How do I know the speed limit if there are no signs?
If the road has street lights and no speed-limit signs, it is almost certainly a 30mph limit (20mph in Wales) – lighting is the legal marker of a restricted road. If there are no street lights, expect the national speed limit to apply (60 on a single carriageway, 70 on a dual carriageway for a car), usually confirmed by a national-speed-limit sign as the character of the road changes. When in doubt, assume 30 until a sign tells you otherwise.
What is the speed limit for a van?
Most vans follow goods-vehicle limits: 30mph in built-up areas, 50mph on single carriageways, 60mph on dual carriageways and 70mph on motorways. The exception is a “car-derived van” (a car-based van up to 2 tonnes laden), which keeps car limits of 60/70/70 on the open road. If you are unsure which yours is, check the V5C rather than assuming.
Is the built-up limit really 20mph in Wales now?
Yes. Since September 2023, 20mph is the default limit on most restricted roads in Wales that were previously 30mph. So on a lit town or village road in Wales with no signs, treat it as 20 unless a sign raises it back to 30. The rest of the UK keeps the 30mph default on lit restricted roads.