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Speed Limits: Rural Areas

Asked by Olly GloverLiberal DemocratDepartment for TransportTabled Answered 12 June 2026UIN 8361

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the impact of the 60mph default speed limit on rural roads on safety; and whether she plans to review this default.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood

The Department for Transport keeps speed limit policy under review as part of its wider road safety work. As set out in the Road Safety Strategy published on 7 January 2026, the Department is updating the Setting Local Speed Limits guidance, to support authorities to make the best decisions about managing speed on the roads they are responsible for.

In addition, the Department is undertaking work on rural road categorisation to better reflect the range of road types currently covered by the definition of rural.

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