The Department for Transport (DfT) is considering a major overhaul of speed limits on rural roads across the UK, potentially allowing local councils to set their own limits. The move comes amid growing concerns over accident rates on roads with a 60mph default limit, which often include narrow and winding routes.
Safety Concerns on Rural Roads
Latest figures reveal that motorists are six times more likely to be killed or seriously injured on rural roads compared to motorways. The standard 60mph limit applies to many rural single carriageways, which can be extremely narrow and twisting, posing risks to motorists, cyclists, and horse riders.
Parliamentary Questions Prompt Review
Liberal Democrat MP Olly Glover asked Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander about the impact of the 60mph default limit on rural road safety and whether a review is planned. In response, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Local Transport Lilian Greenwood confirmed that the DfT is updating its guidance on setting local speed limits.
Greenwood stated: “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 in making 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.”
Road Safety Strategy Highlights Risks
The Road Safety Strategy document highlighted that vulnerable road users – including pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, and children – remain disproportionately at risk of serious injuries and fatalities on rural roads. It warned: “Some of the most high-risk roads in the country are rural single carriageways, with high speeds and limited infrastructure.”
The Strategic Road Network (SRN) in England, comprising motorways and major trunk A-roads overseen by National Highways, covers over 4,500 miles and accommodates 34% of England’s traffic. In 2024, these routes recorded 1,931 killed or seriously injured casualties, representing 7% of England’s total. In contrast, rural roads accounted for 959 fatalities – 60% of all fatalities – while carrying only 45% of traffic.
Liberal Democrat Calls for Lower Limits
Liberal Democrat MP Dr Roz Savage also questioned the adequacy of the national speed limit on rural single carriageways and whether a lower default limit on unclassified rural roads has been considered. Greenwood responded that guidance to local authorities is being revised and new national guidelines are under consideration.
She said: “The Road Safety Strategy published on 7 January 2026 commits the Government to updating the best practice guidance Setting Local Speed Limits, which outlines how local authorities may introduce lower limits on rural roads where appropriate. The most recent publicly accessible version of this guidance emphasises that local traffic authorities have the power to introduce speed limits lower than the national limit where local conditions justify this.”
Rural Road Classification Under Review
The strategy also explores whether proposed rural road categories are appropriate at a local level and assesses their potential for national application. In 2023, the RAC Foundation published research by Agilysis on the characteristics of rural roads, breaking them down into several subcategories to better target safety interventions. From early 2026, the government will explore whether these categories are suitable locally and assess their potential for national use.
Dr Savage also asked about guidance for local authorities on setting reduced speed limits in rural areas and whether plans exist to increase their powers. Greenwood confirmed that the DfT’s Setting Local Speed Limits guidance makes clear that local traffic authorities may introduce speed limits below the national limit based on factors such as road layout, safety considerations, and the character of the area. The Road Safety Strategy committed to updating this guidance and guidance on speed camera use.
RAC Foundation Research
The RAC Foundation’s rural road segmentation report revealed that rural roads encompass a vast range of types, forming the basis for revised network categorisation and potentially new speed restrictions. Bruce Walton, technical director of Agilysis and Road Safety Analysis, commented: “This study is an opportunity to tackle a long-standing challenge in road safety: how to address road danger on rural routes, which are easily overlooked because they are lightly trafficked or run through remote areas.”
RAC Foundation director Steve Gooding added: “The question may seem simple: ‘what is a rural road?’ The answer turns out to be more complex than you might think when interpreting road safety statistics. This report suggests there are at least ten types of ‘rural’ road with specific characteristics, and the only thing they have in common is that they run outside our big towns and cities.”
