Plans to reduce national speed limit in Scotland are scrapped

Plans to reduce the speed limit on single carriageway roads in Scotland from 60mph to 50mph will not be taken forward, Transport Scotland has announced.

Between November 2024 and March 2025, Transport Scotland held a public consultation as part of its National Speed Management Review (NSMR).

A total of 19,584 responses were received, with most respondents (77%) feeling that the current national speed limit of 60mph on single carriageway roads ‘was about right’.

Additionally, 90% of respondents did not think that a reduction in the national speed limit on single carriageway roads would address national casualty reduction targets.

As a result, Transport Scotland says ministers will not be taking forward changes to reduce the speed limit on single carriageway roads.

Further work will be undertaken to continue to analyse the impact on road casualties and journey times of a speed limit change on different standards of single carriageways.