New Speed Limits Introduced in the UK

We are looking back through history to 2 July in the year 1865, when new speed limits are introduced in the UK.

The Locomotives on Highways Act, famously known as the “Red Flag Act”, was enacted in the UK.

This highly restrictive legislation imposed a maximum speed limit of 2 mph (3.2 km/h) in towns and 4 mph (6.4 km/h) in the countryside for all self-propelled vehicles.

Crucially, it also required a person to walk 60 yards (approx. 55 metres) ahead of the vehicle, carrying a red flag to warn horse-drawn traffic.

This act significantly hindered the development of motoring in Britain for many years, making it a pivotal moment in early British motoring history.