The 60mph speed restrictions on the M1 and M6 are set to be scrapped as motorists praise the return of national speed limit.
The speed limit was lowered in 2021 in a bid to reduce emissions. But National Highways has since said that air pollution would “ultimately be solved at the tailpipe”.
60mph speed restrictions were in place at Rotherham on the M1 and Witton on the M6. They were only supposed to be in place for 12 to 15 months but have remained longer, reports The Telegraph.
On Friday, National Highways confirmed the national speed limit would resume after pollution was found to have fallen in the areas.
But the organisation admitted they couldn’t fully attribute this to the speed restrictions, explaining that the introduction of hybrid and electric cars could have played a part in the results.
Angela Halliwell, the head of the National Highways’ carbon and air quality group, said: “There is an overall trend that air quality is improving across our network. Removing 60mph speed limits from sections of the M1 and M6 where air quality has improved is a positive step.
“Ultimately, air quality will be solved ‘at the tailpipe’ by vehicle manufacturers and changes in vehicle use.”
Though pollution dropped in both areas, data found there was no real change in the average speed of motorists.
Average speeds were already around 60mph, meaning the speed restrictions didn’t make much of a difference to how fast motorists were travelling.
The report also showed that some areas with restrictions in place actually saw a rise in pollution, including the trial site at the M602 at Eccles, and the M4 at Hillingdon.
National Highways insisted it was “highly unlikely” that pollution would exceed the legal limit.
Opposition groups warned that the restrictions could increase congestion during rush hour, thus leading to more pollution as cars stack up.
A spokesman for the AA said: “Removing the 60mph zones will allow traffic to move at speeds for which the roads were designed, thus improving journey times and the efficiency of the network.
“Where there are speed limits with no obvious reason, you lose the understanding and support of the driving public – eventually leading to anger.”
