The Department for Transport is exploring plans that could see speed limits changed amid concerns about accident rate
The Department for Transport has provided an update regarding proposals to implement a reduced speed limit across nearly 200,000 miles of English roads. A substantial plan is presently under consideration for the UK’s road network concerning their classifications and whether modifications are necessary.
Latest figures reveal motorists are six times more likely to be killed or seriously injured on rural roads compared to motorways. The standard speed limit stands at 60mph, often on extremely narrow and twisting roads, which has sparked safety concerns for horse riders as well as motorists and cyclists.
In a fresh Parliamentary written question, Liberal Democrat Dr Roz Savage asked Secretary of State for Transport Heidi Alexander : “What recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the national speed limit on rural single carriageway roads; and whether he has considered introducing a default speed limit lower than 60mph on unclassified rural roads.”
In response, Lilian Greenwood, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for Transport, yesterday (April 15) clarified that guidance issued to local authorities was being revised – while also confirming that new national guidelines were under consideration.
She stated: “The Road Safety Strategy published on 7 January 2026, commits the Government 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.
“The Road Safety Strategy also looks at exploring whether the proposed rural roads categories are appropriate at a local level and to assessing their potential for national application. Developing a much clearer and more consistent definition of what constitutes a ‘rural road’ could help target safety interventions more effectively, ensuring resources are spent where they can have the greatest impact.”
The Road Safety Strategy document highlighted that on rural roads, vulnerable road users – including pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and children – ‘remain disproportionately at risk of serious injuries and fatalities’. It further warns: “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 comprises the principal network of motorways and major “trunk” A-roads overseen by National Highways. According to the report, the SRN encompasses over 4,500 miles of motorways and A roads, accommodating 34% of England’s traffic.
It stated that these routes represent the safest category in 2024, recording 1,931 killed or seriously injured casualties, representing 7% of England’s total. It continues: “Conversely, roads in rural areas are the least safe in terms of fatalities. In 2024, there were 959 fatalities on rural roads, accounting for 60% of all fatalities, while only carrying 45% of traffic.”
In 2023, the RAC Foundation published research by Agilysis about the characteristics of a ‘rural road’. This was the first step in breaking down rural roads into several subcategories to better understand how to define these roads.
This segmentation helps target safety interventions more effectively, ensuring resources are spent where they can have the greatest impact. From early 2026, the government will explore whether the proposed rural roads categories are appropriate at a local level and assess their potential for national application.
Dr Savage also enquired: “What guidance is provided to local authorities on setting reduced speed limits in rural areas, and whether he plans to increase the powers available to local authorities to introduce speed limit zones in rural communities?”
Ms Greenwood responded this week: “Guidance for local authorities on setting reduced speed limits, including in rural areas, is provided through the Department for Transport’s Setting Local Speed Limits guidance. This makes clear that local traffic authorities may introduce speed limits below the national limit where local conditions justify it, based on factors such as road layout, safety considerations and the character of the area.
“The Road Safety Strategy published on 7 January 2026 committed to update current guidance on local speed limits and speed camera use.”
The RAC Foundation’s Rural road segmentation report examined how roads were classified and revealed that rural roads actually encompass a vast range of types, forming the foundation for revised network categorisation – and potentially fresh 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.
“The report outlines a mechanism to help engineers and blue light services do this more effectively. It also proposes a practical process which could deliver it, creating the prospect of further research to develop a coherent national approach that provides valuable insight into our sometimes-neglected rural road network.”
RAC Foundation director Steve Gooding commented: “The question may seem simple: ‘what is a rural road?’ The answer turns out to be more complex that 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.”
To read the rural road segmentation research click here.
To read the Road Safety Strategy published on 7 January 2026 click here.
