The Scottish Government has launched a consultation on major changes to speed limits that would see cars forced to slow down while lorries could drive faster on the nation’s roads.
Under the proposals, car drivers would face reduced speed limits of 50mph on single carriageways, down from the current 60mph limit.
However, heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) weighing more than 7.5 tonnes would be permitted to travel faster, with their limits increased from 40mph to 50mph on single carriageways and from 50mph to 60mph on dual carriageways.
The consultation, which runs until March 2025, aims to address rising road deaths, with fatalities in 2024 already 26 per cent higher than the same period last year.
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The consultation looks at the possibility of slashing speed limits on single carriageways
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Local authorities already have powers to set lower limits, such as 20mph zones in built-up areas or 50mph restrictions on roads with sharp bends.
The new proposals are separate from the Government’s existing commitment to reduce speeds on all “appropriate” urban roads to 20mph by the end of 2025.
Ministers aim to halve the number of people killed and seriously injured on Scotland’s roads by the end of the decade.
Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop announced the proposals during a visit to the Road Expo in Glasgow, emphasising road safety as a Government priority.
She said: “Evidence from the National Speed Management Review indicates that revising speed limits could lead to a significant reduction in the number of injury collisions on our roads while maintaining journey times and enhancing journey time reliability.”
Hyslop stressed that the Government remained “absolutely committed” to making Scotland’s roads the safest in the world by 2030. She added: “We must never lose sight of the fact that one death on our roads is one too many.
“These proposed changes represent a vital step towards achieving national casualty reduction targets, and I urge everyone to take part in the consultation and help shape the future of road safety in Scotland.”
However, the move has been met with concern. Scottish Conservative North East MSP Douglas Lumsden criticised the proposals as “a ludicrous measure which seeks to demonise motorists in rural areas who rely on using a car” and claimed the SNP was ignoring rural residents.
“Unlike the central belt, the north and north east don’t have the luxury of motorways connecting locations across the region,” he said.
Despite the mixed reactions, the Road Haulage Association (RHA) welcomed the proposed changes for HGVs, pointing to successful trials on Scottish roads.
Martin Reid, the body’s policy director for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, said: “The 50mph trial on the A9 has resulted in a reduction in risky overtaking with a resultant improvement in safety, backed up by a decade of data from roads in England and Wales.”
The changes come as Scotland recorded its fourth-lowest number of road deaths in 2023, with 155 fatalities.
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Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop supported the calls for better road safety measures
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Despite this, total casualties increased by three per cent to 5,788, with speeding linked to approximately one-fifth of road deaths in Scotland.