Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Statement by Baroness Kramer on 24 July (WS 137), how the change to HGV speed limits will reinforce the credibility and importance of other safety-critical laws.

We consider the change to the 40 mph HGV speed limit will remove an out-dated and poorly observed speed limit. We consider modernising that limit in itself reinforces the importance of other speed limits, particularly lower local speed limits. Other key safety-related laws, such as the ban on using had-held mobile phones whilst driving, have similar penalties to those for speeding and their importance is likewise enhanced by the modernisation of the HGV speed limit itself. For mobile phone use whilst driving large vehicles the Government is already introducing and encouraging the greater use of vocational driver conduct hearings, where action can be taken against drivers’ licence entitlements.

In addition having the current limit gives rise to an untenable position where motorists’ expectations of relatively quick journeys on some rural roads are only being met because HGV drivers are routinely breaking their speed limit.

Having a law in place which we know to be widely disregarded can only increase the likelihood that drivers will consider other laws to be optional, and so the Government decided a change in the HGV speed limit to a more modern and credible 50mph is necessary.