Speed Limiters on HGVs: What Drivers Must Not Tamper With
Focus
Speed limiters fitted to goods vehicles that require them. This is not a general speeding article for cars, and not a workshop calibration manual.
Why it matters to drivers
At checks and after incidents, a disabled or bypassed limiter is treated as serious. Even if someone else “sorted it”, you are the one behind the wheel when the evidence appears.
What you must not do
- Fit, request, or use devices / codes that defeat the limiter
- “Help” a mate by sharing a workaround
- Ignore a sudden change in governed speed without reporting it
If the limiter feels wrong
Report it through defect / workshop channels before the next loaded run if possible. Do not “test” illegal speeds to prove a point on the public road.
Road speed vs limiter
The limiter caps maximum speed; it does not excuse speeding below that cap in lower limits, roadworks, or poor conditions. You still choose a safe speed for the road.
Driver habit
Assume every cab camera and every DVSA stop can ask whether the vehicle is still limited as required. Keep your hands off the hardware and your name off the tampering story.
