Van Drivers Urged To Watch Speed
22/03/2011 13:36:09
Confusion by van drivers over the correct speed limit for their vehicles means some are taking risks by driving too fast.
That’s the message following recent spells of enforcement by the Surrey Safety Camera Partnership on the A3 at Hook, near Esher, when some van drivers claimed they were unaware that they could not travel at the same speeds as cars. But the law clearly states that transit type vans can only travel at a maximum of 50 mph on single carriageway and 60 mph on a dual carriageway – 10 mph less than cars.
Anyone driving a van that has a maximum laden weight of over two tonnes but less than 7.5 tonnes (when it becomes an HGV) is restricted to these lower speed limits on all single carriageways and dual carriageways, including Surrey roads such as the A3, A217, A30 and A320. This is for clear safety reasons - because goods vehicles are designed to carry heavier loads and when laden take longer to slow down than a car travelling at the same speed.
Only a handful of small vans, such as a Ford Fiesta van, Vauxhall Corsa or Renault Clio vans are permitted to travel at the same speeds as cars because they weigh less than two tonnes.
Surrey County Council Leader Dr Andrew Povey said: “With the boom in internet shopping over the last five or ten years there has been a huge increase in the number of vans carrying goods on the roads. However, it seems some van drivers assume they can drive at the same speeds as cars. The lower speed limits have been around for more than 20 years and I would urge all van drivers to make sure they know how fast they are allowed to travel.”
The advice comes as the latest Drive SMART campaign, tackling speeding, draws to a close at the end of March. For more information on the campaign please go to www.drivesmartsurrey.org.uk