Summary
- A car derived vehicles Gross Vehicle Weight must not exceed 2000kg.
- A Dual purpose vehicle needs to have an unladen weight not exceeding 2040kg and capable of all wheel drive or alternatively have a rigid roof, a permanent row of traverse seats for 2 or more passengers, an area of glass or other transparent material of not less than 1,850 square cm on each side of the vehicle and not less than 770 square centimetres at the rear.
If your goods vehicle is not either one of those types of vehicles by definition then it will have a reduced speed limit. Please check your vehicle against the full definitions provided as that is what we use to define your vehicle and therefore the speed limit applicable for it.
We hope that this information assists you to travel within the speed limit for the road which you are travelling on.
So what are the different speed limits for different types of vehicles?
https://www.gov.uk/speed-limits
National speed limits
Type of vehicle / Built-up areas mph (km/h) / Single carriageways mph (km/h) / Dual carriageways mph (km/h) / Motorways mph (km/h)Cars, motorcycles, car-derived vans and dual-purpose vehicles / 30 (48) / 60 (96) / 70 (112) / 70 (112)
Cars, motorcycles, car-derived vans and dual-purpose vehicles when towing caravans or trailers / 30 (48) / 50 (80) / 60 (96) / 60 (96)
Motorhomes or motor caravans (not more than 3.05 tonnes maximum unladen weight) / 30 (48) / 60 (96) / 70 (112) / 70 (112)
Motorhomes or motor caravans (more than 3.05 tonnes maximum unladen weight) / 30 (48) / 50 (80) / 60 (96) / 70 (112)
Buses, coaches and minibuses (not more than 12 metres overall length) / 30 (48) / 50 (80) / 60 (96) / 70 (112)
Buses, coaches and minibuses (more than 12 metres overall length) / 30 (48) / 50 (80) / 60 (96) / 60 (96)
Goods vehicles (not more than 7.5 tonnes maximum laden weight) / 30 (48) / 50 (80) / 60 (96) / 70 (112)
60 (96) if articulated or towing a trailer
Goods vehicles (more than 7.5 tonnes maximum laden weight) in England and Wales / 30 (48) / 50 (80) / 60 (96) / 60 (96)
Goods vehicles (more than 7.5 tonnes maximum laden weight) in Scotland / 30 (48) / 40 (64) / 50 (80) / 60 (96)
The most common question we get asked about vans is how a specific van is defined in law as this will therefore effect what speed it can travel on a road. I.e. is it car derived or is it a dual purpose vehicle?
It’s very difficult to produce a list of every vehicle and show how they are defined due to the numerous manufacturer combinations of vehicles out there, including different engines, different vehicle lengths, heights and widths.
The vehicle type should be specified on your V5 document however the The Department for Transport recognizes that historically some vehicles may have been incorrectly registered and give the following advice on their website: Car-derived vans and dual purpose vehicles - GOV.UK
If you believe your vehicle is a Car Derived Vehicle (CDV) and is not registered as such, for new vehicles - check with the dealer and older vehicles – check with the manufacturer.
Until such time as your vehicle has been re-registered as a CDV (if appropriate) you should comply with the lower speed limits applicable to a goods vehicle. You will need written confirmation that the vehicle qualifies as a CDV from the manufacturer to accompany the re-registration application.
If your goods vehicle is registered as a CDV but it:
- exceeds 2 tonnes maximum laden weight
- does not meet any other of the criteria for a CDV
Then it is incorrectly registered and you are not permitted to travel at the national speed limits. You must comply with the lower speed limits applicable to a goods vehicle.
If you believe that your vehicles is not registered correctly then follow the link below to change the vehicle details on the V5c registration certificate.
Change vehicle details on a V5C registration certificate (log book): When you need to update your V5C - GOV.UK
Definitions of vehicles
So what is the definition of a Car Derived Vehicle?
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1984/27/schedule/6/paragraph/2#text%3Dcar-derived
A goods vehicle (A motor vehicle or trailer constructed or adapted for use for the carriage of goods this includes goods or burden of any description) which is constructed or adapted as a derivative of a passenger vehicle and which has a maximum Gross Weight not exceeding 2000kg.
It is very important to note that for a vehicle to be defined as a car derived vehicle, its gross vehicle weight cannot exceed 2000kg. This is the Maximum Allowable Mass (MAM) of that vehicle including occupants, fuel and any payload.
The way to find your vehicles gross vehicle weight is to look for the Vehicle Identification Number Plate, VIN Plate. The VIN plate can usually be found under the bonnet or on a door pillar of your vehicle. The plate will be either an alloy plate riveted to the body or on a sticker.
So what is the definition of a Dual purpose vehicle?
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1986/1078/regulation/3/made
A vehicle constructed or adapted for the carriage both of passengers and of goods or burden of any description, being a vehicle of which the unladen weight does not exceed 2040 kg, and either—
(i) is so constructed or adapted that the driving power of the engine is, or by the appropriate use of the controls of the vehicle can be, transmitted to all the wheels of the vehicle; or
(ii) Satisfies the following conditions as to construction, namely—
(a) The vehicle must be permanently fitted with a rigid roof, with or without a sliding panel;
(b) The area of the vehicle to the rear of the driver's seat must be permanently fitted with at least one row of transverse seats (fixed or folding) for two or more passengers and those seats must be properly sprung or cushioned and provided with upholstered back-rests, attached either to the seats or to a side or the floor of the vehicle; and be lit on each side and at the rear by a window or windows of glass or other transparent material having an area or aggregate area of not less than 1850 square centimetres on each side and not less than 770 square centimetres at the rear.
(c) The distance between the rearmost part of the steering wheel and the back-rests of the row of transverse seats satisfying the requirements specified in head (i) of sub-paragraph (b) (or, if there is more than one such row of seats, the distance between the rearmost part of the steering wheel and the back-rests of the rearmost such row) must, when the seats are ready for use, be not less than one-third of the distance between the rearmost part of the steering wheel and the rearmost part of the floor of the vehicle.
For more assistance on the relevant terms used for vehicle weights pleas follow this link:
Vehicle weights explained - GOV.UK