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UK pickup speed limits
Many pickups – especially popular double-cab pickups with four proper doors and five seats – count as dual- purpose vehicles and can be driven as quickly as a car. But you must check the unladen weight.
Vehicle weights have increased as specifications improve, therefore many pickups are now greater than 2,040kg, which stops them being dual-purpose and restricts them to the same speed restrictions as vans.
For example:
• The Toyota Hilux Double Cab 2.4 Diesel has an unladen weight starting at 2,105kg, and so Goods Vehicle speed limits apply.
• The Isuzu D-Max Double Cab has an unladen weight of 2000kg, rising to 2030kg for the automatic, so just under the limit for dual purpose vehicles.
It is important to check the stated unladen weight for your particular vehicle to ensure you are compliant with the law. Important note: Single-cab pickup trucks (those with only two doors and no second row of seats) without four-wheel drive are not considered dual-purpose and can only drive at the same speed as vans.
What are the speed limits for vans with side windows?
UK speed limit laws are not very clear when it comes to vans that are designed to carry passengers as well as goods.
Kombi (or combi) vans, double-cab vans and crew vans feature a second row of seats behind the driver. They can qualify for dual-purpose status in the same way as pickups – but only if they meet all the necessary requirements. As such, they must have side windows and rear windows (not all crew vans come with them as standard), they must have the correct ratio of passenger space to load area, and they must have an unladen weight lower than 2,040kg (2.04 tonnes).
You can also look for ‘window van’ on the V5C logbook – but this will only make a difference if the van meets all the other requirements.
UK Speed limits (source GOV.UK)
The limits below are subject to further local restrictions, according to the posted speed limit signs – so you may find dual carriageways with 40mph limits, 20mph zones in towns, and so on.
You must check the unladen weight.
| Â Type of vehicle | Built up areas areas mph (km/h) |
Single carriageways mph (km/h) | Dual carriageways mph (km/h) | Motorways mph (km/h) |
| Â Cars, motorcycles, car- derived vans and dual-Â purpose vehicles | 30 (48) | 60 (96) | 70 (112) | 70 (112) |
| Cars, motorcycles, car- derived vans and dual-Â purpose vehicles when towing caravans or trailers | 30 (48) | 50 (80) | 60 (96) | 60 (96) |
| Goods vehicles (not more than 7.5 tonnes maximum laden weight) | 30 (48) | 50 (80) | 60 (96) | 70 (112) 60 (96) if articulated or towing a trailer |