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Guides / Regulations by country / United Kingdom

🇬🇧 United Kingdom — driving restrictions for heavy goods vehicles 2026

The United Kingdom stands as an exception in Europe: there are no national weekend bans and no public holiday bans. The only restrictions are local and well-targeted — around London, in the Lake District, and on the A685. Here is what you need to know.

Tolls

Checked on

How you pay Vignette
On-board unit No
Vehicles concerned ≥ 12 t
National system HGV levy

The levy is bought online, for a period; nothing to fit in the vehicle. The Dartford bridge and tunnel are paid separately, by midnight the day after the crossing.

GOV.UK

Quick answers

Checked on · Check for temporary orders before you set off.

Sunday driving ban No
Public holiday ban No
Seasonal restrictions No
Night-time ban Regional
Additional ADR rules Not documented
Specific zones or regions Yes
Vehicles concerned not applicable at national level ; > 18 t in London
⚠️ Thresholds and perimeters may change. This page is kept up to date as accurately as possible but does not replace official regulations: before a sensitive journey or in the event of a dispute, check the relevant local orders (road authorities and local councils concerned). GVW is the gross vehicle weight.

1. General rule

Unlike most European countries, the United Kingdom imposes no driving ban on heavy goods vehicles at weekends or on public holidays.

✅Weekends and public holidays. No national restriction: heavy goods vehicle traffic remains permitted. The only limits are local (see the following section).

2. Local restrictions

Several zones apply their own restrictions, based on tonnage and specific time slots:

🚫Greater London. Heavy goods vehicles over 18 t are banned (except on motorways) from Saturday 13:00 to Monday 07:00, as well as every night from 21:00 to 07:00.

🏞️A591 — Lake District (Cumbria). Prohibited for heavy goods vehicles over 7.5 t.

🛣️A685 — between Brough and Tebay. Prohibited for heavy goods vehicles over 18 t.

3. Exemptions

These local restrictions do not apply to the transport of perishable goods.

4. Good to know

↩️Left-hand traffic: in the United Kingdom, traffic drives on the left. Adjust your overtaking manoeuvres and vigilance at intersections accordingly.

📞Useful numbers: 999 (national emergency) and 112 (European emergency number, valid in the United Kingdom).

Alcohol and drugs

Your limit, driving goods over 3.5 t
0,8 g/L of blood
0,35 mg/L of breath
General limit
0,8 g/L of blood
0,35 mg/L of breath

Scotland : 0,5 g/L of blood · 0,22 mg/L of breath

Drugs : per-substance limits, not yet documented

GOV.UK · Competent authority · Checked on August 17, 2026

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Official sources

The links below lead to the authorities and the legal texts that prevail. They are in the language of the country.

Before a sensitive journey

Bans may be changed temporarily because of the weather, roadworks, events, environmental measures or local decisions. This page provides a general overview and does not replace checking the official source before a sensitive journey. It covers the national rules and the main routes. Local bans — city centres, mountain passes, minor roads, often “except for access” — come from municipal and prefectural orders: far too many to list here, and to be checked on the road signs or on a truck GPS.

Neighbouring countries and related routes

Netherlands: HGV driving bans Belgium: HGV driving bans France: HGV driving bans Spain: HGV driving bans Poland: HGV driving bans Italy: HGV driving bans Germany: HGV driving bans
See all European regulations → Understand driving and rest times → Compare European minimum wages → Night hours uplift → →

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