Van speed limits, how are they not wider knowledge

Rich1988

Rich1988

Rich1988

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wiltshire
:eek: I have A vw transporter through work, and was just chatting over dinner and speed limits came up and dad mentioned that my van's speed limit on a dual carrigeway would be 60mph, I didnt believe him as I thought that was vans over 3.5 tonnes etc, but low and behold I go the department of transport website and apparently the limit for vans is 50mph on single carrigeways and 60mph on dual carrigeways, how is this not more common knowledge!! I had absolutley no idea and could have gone past a van at 60mph quite happy in the knowldge i was within the speed limit when I am not!, Did everyone else already know about these limits??
 
Speed Camera Vans can't distinguish can they? Or does it work by number plate linked to the PNC? Otherwise I thought it would have been down to the Police Officers knowledge.
 
Well, technically yes, as you're supposed to know the highway code if you're on the roads as a driver. Caravans are the same - their set speed limit on a single carriageway A road is 50mph, and 60mph on a dual carriageway or motorway.

And yes - camera vans must distinguish, as there's a guy operating a laser taking the video.

Truvelo and Gatso cameras can apparently tell by the radar reflection what size the vehicle is, so lorries can be flashed for exceeding 40 whilst cars will only be flashed for exceeding 60. Apparently.
 
I really cant believe it I may already have been caught whilst quite obliviously thinking I was within the limits, stupid stupid law.
 
You can get done by VOSA if you have a roadside check (they check your tacho graphs) I cant get done for speeding on a dual carridgeway anymore, my 7.5 tonner is limited to 56, & it only does that downhill with a tailwind, its a gutless piece of junk :mad:
 
Most people don't know this, probably due to the way most van drivers seem to drive... at 90mph everywhere :)
 
so a vw transporter has to do 60mph but a caravelle (with 7 seats) can do 70?
does this even make any sense?
 
but they are identical except for the fact that one was windows and seats and the other has nothing.
a chrysler grand voyager is probably bigger, yet that isn't restricted to 60mph
 
Doesn't it also depend on whether the van in question is a "Car derived van"?

As I understand it (and echoed here) car derived vans follow the normal speed limits and only true goods vehicles have the lower limits.
 
ah ok
the transporter isn't a car derived van, as it's a van in its own right

either way, the grand voyager is still bigger.. :p
 
yea as said above its only car derived vans, Its weird, the guy I took over from didnt know and used to drive up to the speed limit everywhere, I just hope I havent been caught and will just have to drive slow from now on :( its a really rubbish and outdated rule!
 
Its kind of annoying as its vans with a total gross weight of over 2 tonnes iirc. My transit connect is about 50kg over 2 tonnes gross loaded, thus i should be doing the lower limits. Even though its more focus than transit it seems!

Most of the time its got me and about 50kg of stuff in, so weighs no more than an average family car! 1400kg for the van plus 130 or so i think!

And ignoring the fact that there are plenty of plebs in 4x4s flying past which can do the higher limits, which are heavier and probably handle worse than my van does!
 
are you sure its over two tonnes? the transport website just seemed to state any non car derived van, mines under 2 tonnes but it didnt seem to mention anything about weight? (van kerb weight it 1800kg)
 
The only exemption to the lower speed limits for vans is for car derived vans under 2 tonnes. Therefore the Connect wouldn't qualify even if it was lighter, as it's not car derived.
 
Hmm, my mate uses a Mercedes Vito van as his personal vehicle. I'm guessing that would fall within this, what about the MPV that is based on the same chassis. It's techically a van derived MPV, rather than the van being a car derived van.

An interesting point is that a lot of stuff like this has to do with seats.

Example: On the Severn bridge toll, if he has the back seats in, he's a car and pays £4.80. If he has them removed, he's a good vehicle and pays £9.
 
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