A sign that gives orders
20 mph limit
A red circle with '20' means a 20 mph speed limit - the maximum, from this sign until a different limit is shown.
01
What it means
The number in a red ring is the maximum speed in mph for that road. 20 mph limits are increasingly common where people and traffic mix closely, and the limit applies until you pass a sign showing a different one.
02
Where you'll see it
Residential streets, roads near schools, town centres and busy shopping streets. Whole areas can be 20 mph, and in Wales the default built-up limit is now 20.
03
On your driving test
Speed is marked throughout the test: creeping over a 20 limit is a fault, and so is crawling well under it and holding up traffic. Match the limit and the conditions.
Often confused with
Quick answers
Is 20 mph a maximum or a target?
It's the maximum. Drive at or below it, and slower still when parked cars, pedestrians or children mean you should.
How do I know when a 20 limit ends?
When you pass a sign showing a different limit. A speed limit stays in force until the next speed-limit sign.
Sign artwork is Crown copyright, reproduced under the Open Government Licence v3.0; meanings from the Highway Code (gov.uk).
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