Who Sets the Speed Limits?

The Highways Agency, a division of the Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions, is ultimately responsible for setting speed limits, but the responsibility is delegated locally. In Surrey this responsibility falls to us, and to district councils, in consultation with the police.

How do we decide the speed limit?

Setting a speed limit is a complicated task and many things must be considered, such as:

• the alignment of the road
• the speed most motorists expect to travel along this road
• the type of road and where it is located

More details can be found on the Speed Management Policy page.

How can I change a Speed Limit?

If you think that a speed limit is unsuitable you should contact the local highways office for the area. Your request will be checked by an engineer and a survey may be carried out to measure the speed of traffic. Information will also be collected on other road users such as pedestrians, children and people with a disability. This information will then be assessed to see if further action is needed.

Further action may mean changing the speed limit or, if the appropriate limit is being ignored, considering measures to reduce vehicle speeds.