Roadworthiness · 3 min read · Updated
Speed limiters for HGVs - the rules and your duties
Most goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes must have a working speed limiter set so the vehicle cannot exceed 90 km/h (about 56 mph). Tampering with a limiter is a serious offence that damages good repute, and the limiter is checked at the annual test and should be confirmed at each inspection.
Speed limiters are easy to forget about because they usually just work - until one is faulty, wrongly set or tampered with, at which point it becomes a roadworthiness and enforcement problem. Operators need to know the rule and treat the limiter as a checked item, not a fit-and-forget device.
Which vehicles and what setting
Most goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes must be fitted with a speed limiter, set so the vehicle cannot exceed 90 km/h (about 56 mph). The requirement is tied to the vehicle's specification and age, and there are limited exemptions, but for the modern HGV fleet a working limiter at the correct setting is the norm and the expectation.
Tampering is serious
Interfering with a speed limiter - disconnecting it, altering the setting, or manipulating the tachograph to disguise speed - is a serious offence. It is exactly the kind of deliberate act that damages an operator's good repute and can bring the licence before the Traffic Commissioner, because it points at intent rather than oversight. The tachograph record can reveal speeds inconsistent with a working limiter, so it tends to come to light.
Checked at test and inspection
The speed limiter and its correct function are checked at the annual test, and its operation should be confirmed as part of your ongoing safety inspection and calibration regime. A limiter fault should be treated like any other defect: recorded, and put right before the vehicle runs.
The link to hours and safety
A correctly set limiter supports safe operation and sits alongside your drivers' hours and tachograph management - all part of showing DVSA that the operation is controlled and that speed and hours are not being pushed.
How OperatorCompliance helps
OperatorCompliance keeps each vehicle's inspections, defects and annual-test history together, so a limiter fault flagged at inspection is tracked through to repair and the calibration and test evidence stays on file with everything else. See how it works or start a free 14-day trial.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Check the current speed limiter requirements and exemptions on GOV.UK.
Frequently asked questions
Which vehicles must have a speed limiter?
Most goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes must be fitted with a speed limiter. The requirement is tied to the vehicle's specification and age, and there are limited exemptions, but for the modern HGV fleet a working limiter is the norm and the expectation. Buses and coaches are covered by their own limiter requirements too.
What speed is an HGV limiter set to?
The limiter is set so the vehicle cannot exceed 90 km/h, which is about 56 mph. This is the top speed the engine management will allow, and it operates regardless of the national speed limit for the road. A limiter that is faulty or wrongly set is a roadworthiness and enforcement problem, not just an inconvenience.
Is tampering with a speed limiter illegal?
Yes, and it is a serious offence. Disconnecting a limiter, altering the setting, or manipulating the tachograph to disguise speed is exactly the kind of deliberate act that damages an operator's good repute and can bring the licence before the Traffic Commissioner. The tachograph record can reveal speeds inconsistent with a working limiter, so it tends to come to light.
How is a speed limiter checked?
The limiter and its correct function are checked at the annual test, and its operation should be confirmed as part of your ongoing safety inspection and calibration regime. Treat a limiter fault like any other defect: record it, and put it right before the vehicle runs again.
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