Speed LimitsUK Motorway Speed 2026: 70 mph, and 20 mph in Wales
The UK motorway limit is 70 mph, about 112 km/h, and dual carriageways share it. Built-up areas default to 30 mph, except in Wales where the default is 20 mph.
The UK motorway limit is 70 mph — about 112 km/h — and dual carriageways share it. Built-up areas default to 30 mph, except in Wales, where the default is 20 mph.
Two things the UK does differently
The first is obvious at the border: Britain posts speed limits in miles per hour. A sign reading 70 is not 70 km/h, and a hire car with a metric-only speedometer makes that a live problem rather than a trivia point.
The second is newer and catches even British drivers. Wales moved its default limit on restricted roads to 20 mph, while England, Scotland and Northern Ireland stayed at 30 mph. Cross the Severn and the number under your wheels changes without anything dramatic happening at the roadside.
The National Speed Limits
| Road type | Cars and motorcycles | Car towing a caravan | Coach over 12 m | Goods vehicle over 7.5 t |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Built-up areas | 30 mph (20 mph in Wales) | 30 mph (20 in Wales) | 30 mph (20 in Wales) | 30 mph (20 in Wales) |
| Single carriageway | 60 mph | 50 mph | 50 mph | 50 mph (40 mph in Scotland) |
| Dual carriageway | 70 mph | 60 mph | 60 mph | 60 mph (50 mph in Scotland) |
| Motorway | 70 mph | 60 mph | 60 mph | 60 mph |
In metric terms: 20 mph is about 32 km/h, 30 mph about 48, 60 mph about 96 and 70 mph about 112.
Built-up areas
A built-up area is defined by street lighting rather than by scenery, so a lit rural road can carry the 30 mph default with no repeater signs at all. The absence of signs is the limit.
Motorways and dual carriageways
Both sit at 70 mph for cars, which is why the driving experience feels similar. The difference is what else is allowed on them: dual carriageways carry slower traffic, junctions and sometimes pedestrians, and the same 70 is a very different number there.
Check exact speed limits for your route
Open Speed Limit MapWhat Most Guides Don’t Tell You
The gantry outranks the sign
On smart motorway sections, an overhead gantry showing 60, 50 or 40 sets the legal limit for the lane beneath it. Those figures are camera-enforced, they change within minutes, and a red X over a lane closes it entirely. The permanent 70 has no standing while a gantry is displaying something else.
SPECS measures the stretch, not the spot
Average-speed cameras cover long runs of motorway and most major roadworks. They compare the time between two points, so braking for a camera and accelerating afterwards produces exactly the average that gets you the ticket.
Scotland drinks less
The drink-drive limit is not a UK-wide figure. England, Wales and Northern Ireland sit at 35 micrograms of breath and 80 milligrammes of blood; Scotland is at 22 and 50. A driver who is legal in Carlisle can be over the limit in Gretna on the same amount.
The fine is a proportion of income
Only the lowest band is a flat sum. From 10 mph over, courts work in bands set as a percentage of weekly income: band A is 25 to 75 per cent, band B 75 to 125, band C 125 to 175, with disqualification available at the top.
How the UK Compares
| Country | Built-up | Rural single | Dual carriageway | Motorway |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 30 mph (20 in Wales) | 60 mph | 70 mph | 70 mph |
| Ireland | 50 km/h | 60 km/h local, 80 regional | 100 km/h national | 120 km/h |
| France | 50 km/h | 80 km/h | 110 km/h | 130 km/h |
| Germany | 50 km/h | 100 km/h | 100 km/h | No general limit |
| Netherlands | 50 km/h | 80 km/h | 100 km/h | 100 km/h daytime |
Key Facts at a Glance
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Motorway limit | 70 mph (112 km/h) |
| Dual carriageway | 70 mph (112 km/h) |
| Single carriageway | 60 mph (96 km/h) |
| Built-up default | 30 mph (48 km/h); 20 mph in Wales |
| Goods vehicle over 7.5 t, motorway | 60 mph |
| Driving side | Left |
| Alcohol limit | 35 µg breath; 22 µg in Scotland |
| Camera density | Extensive, including average speed |
| Emergency number | 999 or 112 |
More Resources
Sources: GOV.UK national speed limits · GOV.UK drink drive limit
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Related Questions
70 mph, which is about 112 km/h, for cars and motorcycles. The same 70 mph applies on dual carriageways. Cars towing a caravan, coaches over 12 metres and goods vehicles over 7.5 tonnes are all held to 60 mph on the motorway.
30 mph, about 48 km/h, in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. In Wales the default in built-up areas is 20 mph, roughly 32 km/h, and it applies to every class of vehicle.
60 mph for cars and motorcycles, about 96 km/h. Cars towing a caravan drop to 50 mph, and goods vehicles over 7.5 tonnes to 50 mph in England and Wales but 40 mph in Scotland.
No. England, Wales and Northern Ireland allow 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100 ml of breath, or 80 milligrammes per 100 ml of blood. Scotland sets a lower limit of 22 micrograms of breath and 50 milligrammes of blood.