Maximum legal speed in a van

[Pica-Pica]

Johnnytheboy said:

Wouldn't life be simple if vans up to 3.5t MGW were subject to the same speed limits as cars?

Edited by Johnnytheboy on Wednesday 17th April 17:31

Indeed. This question is a regular on PH. The speed limits should be weight related - pure and simple.

There is often arguments about car-derived vans. The status is basically a car with blanked rear side windows. Even if the van is built off a passenger car chassis platform, that does not count as a car-derived van if it does not ‘look like it’. You can bring that up for discussion at the SAC, it will certainly cause a few disagreements and confusion!

[Brinyan]

surveyor said:

You have also been lucky to get away with car rates on toll bridges Most charge van rates where they exist for my transit dual cab,

Yes, using the online payment for the Dartford crossing is same as taking the car over & I travel to Wales every 3 weeks & through the Severn crossing tolls & charged car rates also, though that’s now free for all.
60 mph on dual carriageways for me now then . You learn something every day, though I know I should have been aware of this!

[bigdog3]

Johnnytheboy said:

Wouldn't life be simple if vans up to 3.5t MGW were subject to the same speed limits as cars?

Absolutely but common sense would prevent easy pickings like the unfortunate Original Poster

[Johnnytheboy]

Pica-Pica said:

Johnnytheboy said:

Wouldn't life be simple if vans up to 3.5t MGW were subject to the same speed limits as cars?

Indeed. This question is a regular on PH. The speed limits should be weight related - pure and simple.

3.5 tonnes has always struck me as the natural watershed for speed limit change.

[Tyre Smoke]

So, can anyone advise me on a Renault Trafic 2700dci 9 seat minibus?

Not a conversation, built by Renault.

[bigdog3]

Johnnytheboy said:

3.5 tonnes has always struck me as the natural watershed for speed limit change.

Makes sense The Bentley Mulsanne weighs in at 2685kg kerb, so when laden could feasibly reach that 3.5 tonne break point. The Mulsanne Grand Limousine is even heavier.

[SS2.]

Tyre Smoke said:

So, can anyone advise me on a Renault Trafic 2700dci 9 seat minibus?

Not a conversation, built by Renault.

Normal speed limits apply to a passenger vehicle* with an unladen weight of less than 3.05 tonnes and not more than 8 seats (not including the driver).

• - a vehicle constructed solely for the carriage of passengers and their effects.

[SS2.]

bigdog3 said:

The Bentley Mulsanne weighs in at 2685kg kerb, so when laden could feasibly reach that 3.5 tonne break point. The Mulsanne Grand Limousine is even heavier.

Speed limits for passenger vehicles are determined from unladen weights.

[Brinyan]

Tyre Smoke said:

So, can anyone advise me on a Renault Trafic 2700dci 9 seat minibus?

Not a conversation, built by Renault.

From what I gather from the responses here, I would assume a minibus isn’t a goods vehicle, so you could do 70mph on a dual carriageway.

[donkmeister]

bigdog3 said:

Johnnytheboy said:

3.5 tonnes has always struck me as the natural watershed for speed limit change.

Makes sense The Bentley Mulsanne weighs in at 2685kg kerb, so when laden could feasibly reach that 3.5 tonne break point. The Mulsanne Grand Limousine is even heavier.

Hummer H2 is nearly 3000kg kerb weight

[Mort7]

Legal limits in table form.

https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/advice/legal/speed-lim...

[Mr Pointy]

Mort7 said:

Legal limits in table form.

https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/advice/legal/speed-lim...

But that says 'look at tne V5' & doesn't mention the 2000kg limit at all. Do you think the advice is accurate?

[bigdog3]

SS2. said:

bigdog3 said:

The Bentley Mulsanne weighs in at 2685kg kerb, so when laden could feasibly reach that 3.5 tonne break point. The Mulsanne Grand Limousine is even heavier.

Speed limits for passenger vehicles are determined from unladen weights.

Which means their laden weight can exceed 3.5 tonnes but they still have higher speed limits than some lighter vehicles. Not very sensible really

[bigdog3]

Brinyan said:

Tyre Smoke said:

So, can anyone advise me on a Renault Trafic 2700dci 9 seat minibus?

Not a conversation, built by Renault.

From what I gather from the responses here, I would assume a minibus isn’t a goods vehicle, so you could do 70mph on a dual carriageway.

Buses, coaches and minibuses (not more than 12 metres overall length) - Dual Carriageways 60mph, Motorways 70mph

Sorry for the bad news

[SS2.]

bigdog3 said:

Brinyan said:

Tyre Smoke said:

So, can anyone advise me on a Renault Trafic 2700dci 9 seat minibus?

Not a conversation, built by Renault.

From what I gather from the responses here, I would assume a minibus isn’t a goods vehicle, so you could do 70mph on a dual carriageway.

Buses, coaches and minibuses (not more than 12 metres overall length) - Dual Carriageways 60mph, Motorways 70mph

Sorry for the bad news

What 'bad news' ?

If it has 8 seats plus one for the driver, it isn't a bus, a coach or a minibus and, as such, wouldn't be subject to special speed limits for any of those vehicle types.

[Don Roque]

bigdog3 said:

Which means their laden weight can exceed 3.5 tonnes but they still have higher speed limits than some lighter vehicles. Not very sensible really

They're braked to match though, unlike the legions of clapped-out Sprinters and Transits we see.

[bigdog3]

SS2. said:

If it has 8 seats plus one for the driver, it isn't a bus, a coach or a minibus.

So how is this "Renault Trafic 2700dci 9 seat minibus" classified ?

[bigdog3]

Don Roque said:

bigdog3 said:

Which means their laden weight can exceed 3.5 tonnes but they still have higher speed limits than some lighter vehicles. Not very sensible really

They're braked to match though, unlike the legions of clapped-out Sprinters and Transits we see.

So are you saying vans are not engineered to car standards (not true in my experience) ? Or that speed limits should be set to some perceived average condition criteria for that class of vehicle ?

Edited by bigdog3 on Thursday 18th April 14:42

[SS2.]

bigdog3 said:

SS2. said:

If it has 8 seats plus one for the driver, it isn't a bus, a coach or a minibus.

So how is this "Renault Trafic 2700dci 9 seat minibus" classified ?

A passenger vehicle.

[bigdog3]

SS2. said:

bigdog3 said:

SS2. said:

If it has 8 seats plus one for the driver, it isn't a bus, a coach or a minibus.

So how is this "Renault Trafic 2700dci 9 seat minibus" classified ?

A passenger vehicle.

Which falls in the "Cars, motorcycles, car-derived vans and dual-purpose vehicles" category ?