A new survey reveals that a majority of UK drivers are against increasing the national motorway speed limit to 80mph. The poll of 2,000 motorists found that 54 per cent did not want to see motorway speeds rise from the current 70mph limit.
The findings come despite a petition supporting the change having gathered thousands of signatures. The current 70mph limit on British motorways was introduced on 22nd December 1965 as a temporary four-month trial, following a series of serious pile-ups in dense autumn fog earlier that year.
History of the 70mph Limit
Transport Secretary Barbara Castle made the limit permanent in 1967, and it has remained unchanged ever since, despite significant advances in vehicle safety technology, braking systems and road engineering over the past six decades.
Imran Malek, corporate sales manager at DrivingExperience.com, commented on the survey results: "It's clear to see that 70mph is plenty for many in the UK, the current speed limit that has been in place for nearly 60 years."
Speeding Trends and Petitions
Freedom of Information requests made to Thames Valley Police revealed that 53 per cent of motorway speeding offences occurred between 70 and 79mph, with a further 42 per cent falling between 80 and 89mph. This suggests that many drivers already treat 80mph as acceptable despite its illegality.
A previous petition calling for a speed limit increase gathered 42,000 signatures in support back in 2024. A current petition has so far attracted 2,000 names backing the proposal.
The petition states: "We want the Government to increase the speed limit on dual carriage and motorway to 80 MPH. We believe modern cars are better equipped than ever with safety features that make them much safer than before. We think that the roads are safer when they are less congested, and that there might be fewer accidents on the roads when the cars are traveling at higher speeds."
Government Response
If the petition reaches 10,000 signatures, the government will respond to it. If it reaches 100,000 signatures, it will be considered for debate in Parliament. The petition will remain open until 30 March 2026.
A spokesperson for the Labour Party government and Department for Transport said there had been no recent assessment of increasing national speed limits, with "no current plans" to make any changes.
The spokesperson added: "Speed limits are set to achieve a balance between a transport system that is an engine for economic growth but one that is also greener and safer and improves the quality of life in our communities."
