Road Safety Bill [HL]

moved Amendment No. 75:"After Clause 17, insert the following new clause—"    ““SPEED LIMITS FOR VEHICLES OF CERTAIN CLASSES    In Schedule 6 to the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 (speed limits for vehicles of certain classes), in paragraph 5(2)(b)(iii), column 3(c), leave out ““40”” and insert ““50””.”” The noble Baroness said: We return to speed restrictions. The amendment would increase the speed limit for heavy goods vehicles on single carriageways from 40 mph to 50 mph. The reason is to cut congestion and, particularly, to reduce the temptation of motorists to risk a dangerous overtaking manoeuvre. The amendment needs to be looked at in the context of the maximum speed being suitable for the circumstances. At present the maximum speed for lorries on single carriageways is 40 mph. We know that lorries have become safer, that their braking is more efficient, and that the quality of many of our single carriageways—particularly trunk roads—has increased significantly. Some time ago in the past it was possible to overtake lorries on single carriageway roads with relative ease because traffic was much lighter and there were far fewer vehicles coming in the opposite direction. Drivers nowadays know that it is almost impossible to overtake any vehicle at busy times on single carriageway roads. As a result, all traffic goes at the speed of the slowest, which means that if a lorry is going at 40 mph at the   front of the queue everybody trails along at about 30 mph. Heavy goods vehicles often find themselves generating driver frustration. I understand that Tesco now has a sign on the back of all its lorries saying ““This lorry is limited to 40 mph”” because so many motorists find that speed incredible and sometimes vent their frustration on the driver. In times past I suspect that some lorry drivers went above the speed of 40 mph, but with cameras and tachographs they cannot do so. As a result, the frustration of drivers behind them creates a danger. Introducing such a change would improve road safety rather than making it worse. That is the view of   those in the commercial goods industry, of many of those who drive heavy goods vehicles, and of most of the people who drive behind them. It is meant to be a practical amendment and goes back to what my noble friend Lord Hanningfield said in his closing remarks on the previous amendment. While we all want road safety, we must consider the practicalities of millions of drivers and the frustrations and difficulties that they face daily. The amendment refers to heavy goods vehicles only. I beg to move.