SPEED LIMITS

On average, three people die each day on country roads.  60% of all fatalities in Great Britain occurred on rural roads in 2018.   The number of people killed on rural roads was more than 10 times higher than on motorways in Great Britain in 2017.  10,729 people were killed or seriously injured in accidents reported to the police on rural roads in Great Britain in 2017.  

You must not drive faster than the speed limit for the type of road and your type of vehicle.  The speed limit is the absolute maximum and it doesn’t mean it is safe to drive at this speed in all conditions.  The following speed limits apply to all single and dual carriageways with street lights unless there are signs showing otherwise:

• 30 mph [miles per hour] in England, Scotland & Northern Ireland

• 20 mph [miles per hour] in Wales

Local Councils can set their own speed limits in certain areas, and these must be clearly signed such as:

• 20 mph in a built-up area or near a school 

• 50 mph (rather than 60 mph) on a stretch with sharp bends

When driving, a few miles per hour can be the difference between life and death.  The faster someone drives, the less time they have to stop if something unexpected happens.  If you kill someone while speeding, you will have to live with the long-term emotional consequences and a family are without their loved one!  Speed is one of the main factors in fatal road accidents and speed limits are there for a reason.  Fatal accidents are four times as likely on rural A roads as urban A roads. 

3,121 people were killed or seriously injured in accidents where ‘exceeding the speed limit’ or ‘travelling too fast for the conditions’ was recorded as a contributory factor by the police.  

If you have been injured in the last 3 years and the accident was not your own fault, our personal injury solicitors at What’s My Claim Worth are here to help you. Call 01244 568 535 to see how we can help you claim compensation for your injuries and financial losses. What’s My Claim Worth is the personal injury department of Oliver & Co Solicitors, rated as excellent on Trustpilot.