2.5m wide caravans to be limited to 56mph

[RogerL]

Vehicles between 3.5 and 7.5 tonnes are to be restricted to 56mph. New vehicles will have limiters fitted.

Since a vehicle over 3.5 tonnes is required to tow a trailer over 2.3m, this new regulation will mean that all 2.5m caravans will be limited to 56.

I don't suppose that'll have any effect on the unmentionables!

 

[JeremyClarksson]

Just a qualification

2.3m = 7ft 6in before anyone else bothers to work it out.

 

[AnnM1]

So now we 'vanners will have even more people complaining that we are holding up traffic!!! Travelling at a steady 60 mph (or just a tad over) would appear OK to me. Where did this information come from? Is it another legislation from New Labour?

 

[Geordie]

comes into effect from January I think. So we will now see more smaller vans on the roads ( Sprinters, Transits etc).We will witness even more trains of trucks clogging up the middle lane.

 

[Mikey1]

I think the widest vans are only 2.3 mts wide so shouldnt affect us.

 

[Guest]

Does this also apply to foreign registered vehicles who currently don't feel tachometers etc are necessary? Or will it be the usual, it isn't worth the trouble of prosecuting them?

 

[Lutz]

Depends on the wording of the law. If it is a genuine speed limit for all vehicles over 3.5 tonnes (which I suppose it will be) then it will apply whether a speed limiter is fitted or not. This would include foreign registered vehicles. It'll be interesting to see how often it'll get enforced bearing in mind that in Germany vans of the Sprinter variety invariably bomb along the autobahns at 140km/h (90mph).

 

[Lutz]

While driving back home from Berlin yesterday I was overtaken by a Sprinter while I was doing 160km/h. Heaven knows what he had under the bonnet or perhaps it was only sheer momentum of the thing going downhill.

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hello Ann,

Assuming the new limit does apply to caravans over 2.3M then 56 means 56, not 60mph. If you try to bend the rules they will come back and bite evetually.

 

[Lol1]

While driving back home from Berlin yesterday I was overtaken by a Sprinter while I was doing 160km/h. Heaven knows what he had under the bonnet or perhaps it was only sheer momentum of the thing going downhill.

It may shock you Lutz, but that sort of speed from a van, is commonplace these days. I myself drive a 3ltr Renault/Vauxhall van that is more than capable of attaining such velocities. Perhaps that is why the UK feels the need to limit speed, personally I think it will be unworkable, but who am I in the scheme of things?

 

[Val & Frank]

Ann wrote "So now we 'vanners will have even more people complaining that we are holding up traffic!!! Travelling at a steady 60 mph (or just a tad over) would appear OK to me. Where did this information come from? Is it another legislation from New Labour?"

Don't worry Ann yesterday the Scottish Excutive said it was going to increase the use of Average Speed Cameras, why ??. To Protect the Environment. The Lunatics are really taking over.

Val & Frank

 

[Surfer]

What a load of tosh! As if the police are going to monitor a vehicle towing a 2.5m wide caravan to see if they are doing between 56 and 60 mph.

Rogert who are the unmentionables and what is wrong with having a caravan 2.5 metres in width? We would prefer one of that width as opposed to the 2.3m as generally the build quality on a 2.5m caravan would be far superior.

 

[RogerL]

There's nothing wrong with a 2.5m wide caravan if that's what you want.

You'll need a towing vehicle which EXCEEDS 3500kg gross to tow it legally, ie a truck or US pickup. You currently would be able to tow it at 60mph like the rest of us but new regulations are coming in next year which reduce the speed limit for vehicles over 3500kg to 56mph. New vehicles in that class will have limiters, set to 56.

 

[RogerL]

What a load of tosh! As if the police are going to monitor a vehicle towing a 2.5m wide caravan to see if they are doing between 56 and 60 mph.

Rogert who are the unmentionables and what is wrong with having a caravan 2.5 metres in width? We would prefer one of that width as opposed to the 2.3m as generally the build quality on a 2.5m caravan would be far superior.

Unmentionables are undesirable caravanners that I get into trouble with forum moderators because I use the colloquial name for them.

 

[gavin_5121842]

It looks like this change is aimed mostly at 7.5 tonners which whizz all over the country at speeds up to 80mph.

About bloody time too! These vans if fully laden can go like the hammers of hell with up to 3.5 tonnes on the back, but you try stopping one in a hurry at this speed!!

We have a couple of 7.5 tonners at work and its quite alarming when you look at the speedo whilst driving along a quiet road to see that your doing 70mph or so.

Not before time i say,

Gavin.

 

[ThePlotter]

I think many are missing the point from the original posting if I understand it correctly and putting it in plain English I think it will only impact on travellers who as was said probably would ignore it anyway.

 

[RogerL]

My point was meant to inform those that tow 2.5m wide caravans, legally with US pickups, etc will have their speed limit reduced to 56mph (from 60 towing and 70 solo) from next year.

Those that tow 2.5m wide caravans illegally with vehicles less than 3500kg gross will continue to be illegal, whether they be legitimate leisure caravanners or not.

Police speed / number plate cameras are quite sophisticated these days. By linking to computer they can tell instantly from a vehicles registration number what speed limit applies on a particular stretch of road.