HC Deb 04 April 1989 vol 150 cc18-9W
Mr. Squire

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will set out, in tabular form, in respect of each of the countries of the EEC, in respect of goods vehicles with a weight greater than 3.5 tonnes: the maximum speed in miles per hour on motorways and the maximum speed in miles per hour on non-motorway roads; whether there is currently a mandatory requirement to fit speed limiters; and what is the proportion of all such vehicles registered within that country which are estimated to have been fitted with such speed limiters.

Mr. Peter Bottomley

The following is derived from a table provided by the EC Commission in January 1989, in respect of heavy goods vehicles:

Maximum speeds (mph)
Member State Motorway Expressway Other Road
Belgium 56 56 37
Denmark 43 43 43
FR Germany 50 37 43
France 50 50 37
Greece 37 37 37
Republic of Ireland 35 35 35
Italy 50 37 37
Luxembourg 37 37 37
Netherlands 50 50 37
United Kingdom 60 50 140
Spain 62 50 43
Portugal 50 43 37
1 30 mph in built-up areas.

There are a few variations according to operating weights. The information must be treated with some caution because the classification of roads varies between member states.

The information requested on speed limiters is not available, although I understand that in France new vehicles over 10 tonnes gross vehicle weight must be fitted with speed limiters and that in the Federal Republic of Germany mobile cranes must be so fitted. In the United Kingdom, coaches are required to be fitted with speed limiters over the next two years. The number of speed limiters fitted voluntarily to heavy goods vehicles is not known.