50mph trial speed limit FAQs
Why are we implementing the trial 50mph speed limit?
We are committed to improving the safety of our roads and due to the disporportionate volume of motorcycle crashes on the region’s rural roads, 50mph speed limits will be introduced for a trial period on the A6088, B6357, A708 and A7 north of Galashiels for 18 months from April 2025.
This trial is being funded from Transport Scotland’s Road Safety Improvement Fund that specifically targets locations where there is already a history of injuries. Funding has been made available to trial this reduced speed limit pilot after a 2024 Transport Scotland report showed motorcyclists are disproportionately likely to be injured or killed on our roads.
It showed that motorcyclists account for 16% of fatalities but less than 1% of traffic and that collisions are most likely to occur in 60mph A class roads.
Why are all drivers having to reduce their speed if it’s targeting motorcyclists?
It’s not possible to introduce a speed limit only for motorcyclists and so the it will aplly to all road users.
The average speed of road users with the exception of motorcycles along these routes is already less than 50mph, so it is not anticipated that car drivers will see much of a difference in their travel time, and commercial vehicles are already subject to a reduced speed limit.
How will the new speed limit be enforced?
The majority of killed and seriously injured collisions in the Scottish Borders do not take place in towns or villages, but on open country roads and that is where our casualty reduction efforts, in partnership with Police Scotland and Transport Scotland, are focussed.
The A7, A708, A6088, and B6357 are popular recreational routes for motorcyclists and they continue to feature in Police Scotland's Road Policing patrol plans for the 2025 Motorcycle Safety Campaign. This will involve patrol and enforcement activity in both marked and unmarked vehicles.
In recent years Safety Cameras Scotland has carried out short term deployments over the summer period on the A708 in order to improve speed limit compliance. These short term deployments will continue and it is hoped that drivers/riders will be influenced to remain within the speed limit and reduce the risk on the road for all road users.
Why these particular roads?
The A7, A708, A6088, and B6357 are popular recreational routes for motorcyclists and are locations with a history of motorbike casualties. The A708, A6088 and B6357 are quieter routes and along with the inclusion of the A7 north of Galashiels, it will allow us to consider the overall effect on a busier commuter route and regular complaint road.
Why are you funding a new speed limit trial instead of using the money to fix pot holes or improve roads?
This trial is being funded from Transport Scotland’s Road Safety Improvement Fund, and is specifically awarded to Council’s to spend in locations where there is a history of casualties. It can only be used specifically for road safety measures which encourage safer road use for all and recuce the number of casualties on roads and cannot be spent on road maintenance or allocated to other departments within the Council.
What will the evaluation of the trial look like and will 50mph become permanent?
The overall aim of this trial is to reduce casualties on routes with significant motorcycle injuries and the evaluation will focus on how effective the reduced speed limit has been in improving these statistics.
A robust evaluation of the trial will analyse the effect, if any, of a lower speed limit in reducing collisions involving motorcyclists on the four sections of road identified. The trial will cover two summer periods when motorcyclists are most active.
The evaluation will take place in September 2026 and a consultation with the local communities and relevant stakeholders will take place alongside this to determine whether the 50mph speed limits or revert to national speed limit.
Comments and feedback will be captured and considered as part of the overall evaluation of the trial when a public consultation will be held 12 months after installation.
The qualitative responses from the consultation as well as the quantitative crash, casualty and average vehicle speeds will all be taken into consideration. All this data will influence the longer term plans for the trial routes, as well as information from Transport Scotland’s recent national speed limit consultation.