The national speed limit on a single carriageway road in the UK is generally 60mph, however, that can vary depending on the type of vehicle you are driving.

The minimum penalty for speeding is a £100 fine and three penalty points added to your licence.

And with thousands of speed cameras scattered across the UK, its vitally important you are driving at the correct speed to avoid any penalties.

If you are travelling on a single carriageway road, you may be wondering what the speed limit is.

Seven common speed camera myths

The answer is - it varies. So to make sure you are not speeding, here is all you need to know about speed limits on single carriageway roads in the UK from the experts at RAC.

What is the national speed limit on a single carriageway?

Speed limits on UK roads, according to RAC, are generally:

  • 30mph in urban areas
  • 60mph on main single carriageway roads
  • 70mph on dual carriageways and motorways

However, there are exemptions to these rules and "many speed limits depend on the type of vehicle".

@uktoday_ Can you park on the pavement in the UK? The rules for Scorland, England, Northern Ireland and Wales #uknews #parking #pavementparking #uknewsheadlines ♬ original sound - UKToday 🇬🇧 Newsquest

With that in mind, here is the national speed limit on single carriageway roads in the UK, according to RAC, for each different type of vehicle:

  • Cars, motorcycles, car-derived vans and dual-purpose vehicles - 60mph
  • Cars, motorcycles, car-derived vans and dual-purpose vehicles towing caravans or trailers - 50mph
  • Motorhomes or motor caravans (under 3.05 tonnes max unladen weight) - 60mph
  • Motorhomes or motor caravans (over 3.05 tonnes max unladen weight) - 50mph
  • Buses, coaches and minibuses (under 12m overall length) - 50mph
  • Buses, coaches and minibuses (over 12m overall length) - 50mph
  • Goods vehicles (under 7.5 tonnes max laden weight) - 50mph
  • Goods vehicles in England and Wales (over 7.5 tonnes max laden weight) - 50mph
  • Goods vehicles in Scotland (over 7.5 tonnes max laden weight) - 40mph

RAC said: "It’s important to remember that speed limits should be treated as an absolute maximum – it’s not always safe to drive at this speed in all conditions."

RECOMMENDED READING:

  • Can you park on a single yellow line? The rules and fines to consider
  • How do you know if a speed camera caught you? Find out if there's a way to check
  • Do speed cameras have to be painted yellow and must they be visible?

Penalty for speeding

The minimum penalty for speeding is a £100 fine and three penalty points added to your licence.

If you accumulate 12 or more penalty points within three years, you could be disqualified from driving.

In certain circumstances, drivers will be eligible to attend a Driver Education Course, which will incur a cost, but you will not have penalty points added to your licence.