Speed limits

[Mike]

I ask, how many times have you or I been overtaken by a waggon blasting down the motorway???

It depends on the age of them - as all new ones are supposed to have speed limiters. I've driven one with a limiter (but that was a few years back for a temporary job).

[andy-womble]

Knew I'd read it somewhere, straight from the horses mouth so to speak......

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/Dri.../DG_178867

[Grimsqueaker]

Knew I'd read it somewhere, straight from the horses mouth so to speak......

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/Dri.../DG_178867

Still doesn't clear up whether the 'lingo is a car derived van or not though...

According to the Haynes manual, the vans entered the UK market in 1996 with the Multispaces being introduced in '98 to increase appeal..

My interpretation would therefore be that the 'lingo is NOT derived from a car and thus is subject to the lower speed limits...

[Andy]

Look at the Taxation Class on your logbook. I've had both petrol and diesel Berlingos and it has stated either 'Petrol Car' or 'Diesel Car'. So normal speed limits apply.

EXCEPT... if you are towing - then it's 10mph less - i.e. 60mph on motorways and dual carriageways.

[pch]

if it has seats fitted commercially and windows by manufacturer then I thought the law stated it is then a car. With vw vans converted to campers you have to have it certified by ministry as a camper, to get camper insurance and higher speed limit capability.

[andy-womble]

Think the key words are "fitted as standard by manufacturer" or conversley "converted", in the second instance certification by VOSA and type approval would be needed as it is a deviation from the original build spec. Similarly with self-build or kit cars so possibly this opens another "can of worms" for those who convert their own vans into campers....

Daft as this seems, the commercial truck dealership where I used to work also carried out car and light commercial MOT tests (class 4 and class 7). We used to get an old bloke coming to the garage with a converted single-decker bus which he had made into a motorhome and though essentially a PSV (Public Service Vehicle) in design, he could drive it on a normal car licence and because it had been converted and had certain fitments inside it was classed as a non-hgv

[steve valentine]

My van has LGV1 on the tax disc so I have to use the lower speed limits (60 on a dual carriage way and 50 on a single A road) however I've never had any issues.

It all depends on what the car is registerd when new ( PLG private light goods or LGV1 light goods vehicle )

Anyhoo, as I've said, I've never had an issue and tend to stick to the higher speed limits.

[Guanajuato]

Raking up an old thread. I'm a little bored!
The older Berlingos are definitely derived from cars - its derived from the ZX, from which the Xsara was derived. The new ones are derived from the C4. It could also be argued that they're derived from the seated versions. But I guess the key is the maximum loaded weight. The DVLA site would suggest that, so long as the total weight is below 2te, you're fine. I've yet to see any van stick to the 60 limit on the A65, let alone the 50 limit they should be doing. And that includes the sections of 30 limit in villages.

[j90xxx]

I understood that because I am subject to £200 RFL for being taxed as a light goods vehicle, not plg, then the lower limit applies?

And thanks for the Forum jumping on the "murdering, raping, lane-hogging" HGV band-wagon.
Suppose you expect us all to sit in a nice long convoy in lane 1?
Then how would you enter and exit the motorway?
Oh, like you usually do...
Just barge your way in and expect us to slow down?
Read your Highway Code. Those little dotted lines mean "Give Way"; that's you, not me.

And the problem with HGV's now is although they are limited by law to 56mph, because of "Green" issues (big supermarkets, mainly, making themselves look good) some are limited to 54mph (mine), some 53, some 52 (Tesco) etc. They are even talking about 50mph to "save the planet".

Little experiment...
Next time you are on the motorway (those with cruise fitted, even easier) try sitting at 54mph for the entire journey. See how frustrating it is. Do you slow down and sit behind an HGV doing 52/53mph for mile after mile? Remember, you can't speed up....

Have a little understanding.
And a little patience.
Don't forget; everything you buy is delivered by a truck.
Even your Berlingo...

---

After further investigation (and after climbing down off my soapbox) the lower limits apply to vans, and car-derived vans, with a gross weight of 2 tonnes and above.
As mine has a gross weight of 1730kg (according to the V5), then the higher limit applies.
So, 70mph on a motorway and dual carriageway with a central reservation (don't forget; no central barrier, limit is 60) is fine for a Berlingo.
Think (?) that is correct...cratch:

[steve valentine]

I have researched this intensively, it it has PLG on your tax disc, you may use the higher speed limits, if it's LGV1 you have to use the lower limits.

That said, I have always driven to the upper limits and in 5 years have never been stopped or had a ticket.