Speed limits for vans and goods vehicles

By the end of this topic you can

• You can state the default limit for each road type.
• You can name the lower limits for goods vehicles over 3,500 kg, buses and towing.
• You can work out the legal maximum for your vehicle on any road.
• You can explain why a speed limiter does not change the legal limit.

What you need to know and understand

• A van with a MAM of 3,500 kg or less has the same speed limits as a car.
• Default road limits: motorway 120 km/h, national road 100 km/h, regional road 80 km/h, rural local road 60 km/h, built-up area 50 km/h unless signed otherwise.
• Goods vehicles with a MAM over 3,500 kg are limited to 90 km/h on motorways and 80 km/h on all other roads.
• Any vehicle towing a trailer, including a small van, is limited to 80 km/h, even on a motorway.
• Buses not designed for standing passengers are limited to 100 km/h on motorways and dual carriageways and 80 km/h elsewhere.
• Rural local roads dropped from 80 km/h to 60 km/h on 7 February 2025.
• Goods vehicles over 3,500 kg registered since 2005 must have a speed limiter, which is set at 90 km/h.

Which limit applies to you?

The rule of thumb is simple: find the road limit, find your vehicle limit, and drive at or below the lower one.

• Van up to 3,500 kg MAM, no trailer: the posted road limit, up to 120 km/h on a motorway.
• Van up to 3,500 kg MAM towing a trailer: 80 km/h maximum on every road.
• Goods vehicle over 3,500 kg MAM: 90 km/h on a motorway, 80 km/h elsewhere.
• Goods vehicle over 3,500 kg on a road signed lower, such as 60 km/h or 50 km/h: the lower road limit.
• Bus or coach without standing passengers: 100 km/h on motorways and dual carriageways, 80 km/h elsewhere.

Speed limiters and why they are not the limit

Most heavy goods vehicles are fitted with a speed limiter set at 90 km/h. That matches the motorway limit for these vehicles, but on a national or regional road the legal maximum is 80 km/h. Driving at 90 km/h there because the limiter allows it is speeding.

Limiters only cap top speed. They do nothing for safe speed on a wet bend, near a school or in fog. You are still required to drive at a speed that lets you stop within the distance you can see to be clear.

Why heavier vehicles go slower

Weight takes longer to stop and hits harder. A loaded truck can need far more distance to stop than a car at the same speed, and its brakes can fade on long descents. Lower limits for trucks, buses and towing combinations reflect that, along with the extra risk of a trailer swaying or a tall vehicle leaning in a bend.

Penalties for speeding are the same fixed charge and penalty points system used for cars, and professional drivers can lose their livelihood if they build up points.

Common mistakes

• Towing a trailer at motorway speed. Any vehicle with a trailer is limited to 80 km/h.
• Treating a truck limiter as the legal limit on non-motorway roads. The truck limit off the motorway is 80 km/h.
• Forgetting the 2025 change to rural local roads, which are now 60 km/h by default.
• Assuming every large van is a heavy goods vehicle. Below 3,500 kg MAM the car limits apply.

Test yourself: Speed limits for vans and goods vehicles

Answer each question, then read the explanation. Questions come in a random order each time.

Go deeper

• Speed Limits in Ireland 2026