Speed limits and penalties for breaking them
Appropriate speed limits are important for safety and environmental reasons. Speed limits vary according to the type of vehicle you are driving and the nature of the road. You must not exceed the maximum speed limits set for the road and your vehicle.
Consequences of speeding
Too much speed is a significant reason in collisions and has a huge impact on the severity of injuries sustained.
Speeding means that you will have much less time to react to driving conditions. It also means that if you have a collision it will be much more violent and more likely to result in serious or fatal injuries.
Be aware that:
- at 20 mph a child hit by a vehicle has a 90 per cent chance of survival
- at 30 mph a child hit by a vehicle has a 50 per cent chance of survival
- at 40 mph a child hit by a vehicle has a 10 per cent chance of survival
Slow down - and allow for other people’s mistakes.
Speed limits
| Type of vehicle | Built-up areas* mph (km/h) |
Single carriageways mph (km/h) |
Dual carriageways mph (km/h) |
Motorways mph (km/h) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cars and motorcycles (including car-derived vans up to 2 tonnes maximum laden weight) |
30 (48) |
60 (96) |
70 (112) |
70 (112) |
| Cars towing caravans or trailers (including car-derived vans and motorcycles) |
30 (48) |
50 (80) |
60 (96) |
60 (96) |
| Buses, coaches and minibuses (not exceeding 12 metres in overall length) |
30 (48) |
50 (80) |
60 (96) |
70 (112) |
| Goods vehicles (not exceeding 7.5 tonnes maximum laden weight) |
30 (48) |
50 (80) |
60 (96) |
70 (112)** |
| Goods vehicles (exceeding 7.5 tonnes maximum laden weight) |
30 (48) |
40 (64) |
50 (80) |
60 (96) |
* The 30 mph limit usually applies to all traffic on all roads with street lighting unless signs show something else.
** 60 mph (96 km/h) if articulated or towing a trailer.
You can find out more information in sections 117 to 126 (control of the vehicle) of The Highway Code.
Notice of Intended Prosecution
Excess speed/ breach of traffic sign
Within 14 days of a camera recording an alleged speeding or red light running offence, a Notice of Intended Prosecution will be issued to the registered keeper of the vehicle. This notice will contain:
- the vehicle details
- date, time and location of the alleged offence
If you receive a notice you must complete the appropriate section and return it to the Northern Ireland Road Safety Partnership (NIRSP) within the allotted time.
Should you discover a mistake on the notice you should contact the NIRSP on the number shown on the Notice of Intended Prosecution.
Registered keeper obligations
The registered keeper of the vehicle is legally obliged to identify the driver at the time of the alleged offence. This also includes companies, who are advised to keep accurate records of the use of company vehicles.
If the vehicle has been sold, details of the buyer should be provided.
Speed awareness courses
Drivers, depending upon the speed at which they were detected, may be invited to go to a speed awareness course as an alternative to penalty points. This course can only be offered once in a period of three years from the last date of detection.
You must book your course within 28 days (after receipt of an offer) from date on invite.
For the speed awareness course, the speed of the offence must fall within the criteria stated below:
- 30 mph up to and including 42 mph
- 40 mph up to and including 53 mph
- 50 mph up to and including 64 mph
- 60 mph up to and including 75 mph
- 70 mph up to and including 86 mph
The course costs £84.00 in NI. Due to measures in place to reduce the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19) most of the courses are virtual, you can book a course throughout the UK (excluding Scotland).
Course costs will vary on location. The virtual course lasts about two and a half 2.5 hours and is delivered and managed by appointed contractors.
There are a small number of classroom courses, if the driver does not have the facilities to complete a virtual course. You must do the course within 120 days from the date of detection.
If more suitable, drivers can go to a course in Great Britain instead of Northern Ireland.
- Driver awareness courses – AADriveTech website (external link opens in a new window)
Conditional offers
If you are not eligible for a Speed Awareness Course or have committed a Red Light Running offence you will be issued a Conditional Offer of Fixed Penalty, timeframes permitting, which is £60.00 and three penalty points (stay valid on your licence for three years). Aged 18 and over, an offender levy of £5.00 will apply. A payment of £60.00/ £65.00 and both parts of your driving licence should be sent to Laganside Court or you can opt at any stage for a court hearing.
Cheques and postal orders should be made payable to the ‘Clerk of the Petty Sessions’ and forwarded with both parts of the driving licence to:
Payment can also be made in person at Laganside Court between 9.30 am and 4.00 pm Monday to Friday (with the exception of bank and public holidays).
There is no facility to pay by instalments without the matter being referred to a court.
An opportunity of settling the matter by way of conditional offer will not be available to individuals who:
- currently have nine or more valid points on their driving licence, or;
- the speed detected exceeds the limit for the offer
Lost driving licences
Drivers cannot send payment without including both parts of their driving licence. If you have lost your driving licence, you should apply for a replacement from the Driver & Vehicle Agency. If this is the case, they must make contact with NIRSP to advise them an application has been made for a duplicate licence and may require an extension to make payment.