UK average road speeds fall

Latest figures from the Department for Transport (DfT) show that the average speed on UK’s road network for the year to September 2024 has fallen from an overall average of 52.2 MPH to 51 MPH due in part to the number of vehicles now travelling on the UK’s roads.  

While most motorways and A roads’ average speed has fallen between 1 and 2 mile per hour the worst A road was the A12, falling by 6.3mph to an average of 54.6mph, and the worst motorway was the M621 which has fallen 12.6mph to just 43.3 mph. 

Number of vehicles on UK roads 

Department for Transport figures, released in December 2024, also show that for the year ending September 2024 the number of vehicles on our roads increased by 1.4% compared to the previous year, representing 333.7billion vehicle miles. However, this is still 1.5% below pre-pandemic levels. 

Vehicle numbers by vehicle type;

• Cars 76% 
• Vans 18% 
• HGVs 5% 
• Other 1% 

Car and van traffic has increased, but HGV traffic is similar to the previous year. 

Van traffic has risen 2.3% since last year (2023) and now accounts for 59.0 billion vehicle miles, while HGV traffic is 17.0 billion vehicle miles, similar to the previous year. 

To beat the congestion, and improve your last-mile deliveries, contact Descartes to discuss delivery scheduling and route optimisation. Using the latest traffic data and machine learning algorithms the Descartes platform can reduce miles driven and increase efficiency by up to 56%. 

Contact us for a free logistics discussion