Scottish Government scraps plan to cut national speed limit

The Scottish Government has scrapped plans to cut the national speed limit on single carriageways.

The proposals would have seen the top speed reduced from 60mph to 50mph and were ditched after public outcry.

Previously, the Scottish transport secretary stated that the change could lead to a “significant reduction” in the number of injuries in road crashes.

A national public consultation opened last year, asking people what they thought about the plans.

The proposals would have seen the top speed reduced from 60mph to 50mph on single carriageways. Adobe Stock

Other proposals included increasing speed limits for lorries on single carriageways from 40mph to 50mph and on dual-carriageways from 50mph to 60mph.

However, ministers have decided to go ahead with the increase to the speed limit for HGVs on Scotland’s trunk roads to 50mph.

The Scottish Government received over 19,500 responses to the National Speed Management Review consultation, and the results were published on Monday.

More than three-quarters of respondents (77%) felt that the current national speed limit of 60mph on single-carriageway roads was about right.

The Government said the changes will “reduce driver frustration” and improve journey time reliability.

The Road Haulage Association welcomed the decision and said the HGV speed change will help make Scotland’s roads safer, reduce emissions, and grow the economy.

“We know through the trial on the A9 that when the speed differential between cars and trucks is reduced it also reduces the likelihood of risky overtaking,” Martin Reid, the RHA’s policy director for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, said.

“We also know that lorries use less fuel and create fewer emissions when they can drive at 50mph.

When journeys take less time, Mr Reid said they create savings which can be passed on to customers, “creating a positive ripple effect throughout the Scottish economy”.

Scottish transport secretary Fiona Hyslop said the Government had been informed by the “huge number of responses to the public consultation”.

“Work will be undertaken to further analyse the impact on road casualties and journey times of a speed limit change on different standards of single carriageways, and this will inform any future transport policies,” Hyslop said.

“We are also going to start work now on the steps needed to increase HGV speed limits, recognising the consultation feedback and the positive results of similar changes from the A9 HGV speed limit trial and other parts of the UK.”

By reducing the speed differential between HGVs and other vehicles, Hyslop said this change is expected to “enhance road safety by reducing driver frustration and improving journey time reliability”.

“We must never lose sight of the fact that one death on our roads is one too many,” she added.

“These proposals represent a vital step towards making Scotland’s roads safer.”