The Freight Transport Association has pledged its support to a pilot project that will raise the speed limit for heavy goods vehicles on the A9 in Scotland from 40mph to 50mph.
Set to launch on 28th October, the pilot scheme, which will increase the speed limit for HGVs that have a laden weight of more than 7.5 tonnes, will last 36 months. Alongside the pilot scheme, a new average speed camera system aimed at improving operational performance is to be introduced on the route.
Malcolm Bingham, FTA head of road network management policy, said: “We welcome the opportunity for such a trial as we believe the current differential in speed limits between HGVs and other vehicles increases the road safety risk.”
The A9 is one of Scotland’s most important links, and the Scottish government is committed to dualling the route between Perth and Inverness by 2025. The pilot is part of wider engineering, enforcement and education measures being delivered in advance of the dualling programme.
Bingham added: “This trial will provide some much needed evidence to help determine if there are any advantages, on safety grounds, in setting the speed limit of an HGV to 50mph.”
