Weight and speed limits for agricultural tractors and trailers
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport (Claire Perry): Today
I will be announcing my intention, following public consultation and the
recommendations from the Farming Task Force, to increase the weight and
speed limits of agricultural tractors and trailers and to develop detailed
proposals for a roadworthiness test for these vehicles.
These changes will
apply to Great Britain and will be introduced in two distinct phases from Spring
2015. I intend to update these regulations to better reflect the capabilities of
modern machinery, improve the efficiency of the farming sector and help to
boost the economy.
The regulations governing tractors and trailers are outdated and the limits were
set in the 1980s and do not reflect the significant advances in technology that
have been made in this sector. As well as having improved braking systems
today’s tractors are heavier.
Current weight restrictions to the total combined weight of tractors and trailers
offer farmers a perverse incentive to use smaller tractors to pull large trailers,
in order to maximise the amount of produce that they can carry within the
maximum weight allowed. Larger tractors pulling trailers laden to the same
weight will tend to be better matched to the loads. There would also be fewer
journeys and hence less risk of incidents.
Initial changes to weights and speed limits will be introduced by March 2015
through amendments to the Road Vehicles Construction & Use Regulations. I
expect these changes to generate almost £62m in deregulatory benefits to
farmers per year and bring our farmers more in line with their international
counterparts.

I intend to increase the maximum combination weight limit for tractors
and trailers from 24.39t to 31t. This will allow farmers to have more
flexibility in sizing their combinations, allow larger tractors to haul the
same maximum loads that smaller ones do already and will offer some
farmers a modest increase in the amount of produce they can carry in
each journey.
The maximum laden weight of trailers will remain
unchanged (at 18.29t) and the maximum axle weights for tractors and
trailers will not change.

An effective speed limit of 25mph will be applied for conventional
tractors. Modern tractors are designed to safely travel at speeds of up
to, or over 25mph, but current regulations restrict their speed to 20mph,
lower than many other EU countries. We are therefore unnecessarily
restricting our farmers, adding time and cost on to their operations.
Those tractors allowed to exceed 25mph will continue to be subject to
tighter design and regulatory requirements.
Phase 2 is planned for introduction before harvest 2016 and it includes the
consideration of further increases in weights and speeds, including maximum
laden trailer weight limits and a roadworthiness test for some agricultural
tractors and trailers.
I am also publishing today the summary of responses for the consultations into
examining the maximum weights of agricultural trailers and combinations and
examining the maximum speed limit of tractors on public road, as well as the
Government’s response and the impact assessment which cover both
measures. I shall ensure copies are placed in libraries of both Houses.