- Speed reductions of up to 10mph on motorways are part of active contingency plans.
- Lower speeds directly reduce fuel consumption across the national road network.
- Electronic variable speed signs make motorway limit changes immediately deployable.
The conflict in Iran and the resulting disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz have sent energy markets into a tailspin, raising the prospect of serious oil shortages. To combat this, the International Energy Agency (IEA) has suggested that some countries, including the UK, would be wise to lower their speed limits and restrict when cars can be driven.
The world’s energy watchdog insists that emergency measures such as those adopted during the Covid-19 pandemic are needed in order to deal with surging oil prices and supply issues. In addition to suggestions that speed limits should be reduced, the agency wants governments to encourage more shared transport, including public transport and car-pooling, and advise citizens to limit their air travel.
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While the UK insists it currently doesn’t have a fuel shortage, officials from the Department for Transport are working with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) to identify ways to reduce oil demand. If they follow the IEA’s suggestions, they could divert liquid petroleum gas supplies from transport use to the energy sector, The Guardian reports.
Should the UK government need to step in, current plans call for critical service vehicles to be given priority for fuel. Supplies would also be directed to public transport providers, while private vehicle owners would be restricted on how much fuel they can buy per visit at a gas station. Pumps could also be closed overnight.
Don’t Panic…Yet
While a raft of measures could be adopted, the DESNZ insists that motorists should continue to fill up as normal and avoid panic-buying petrol in bulk. Importantly, more than half of the UK’s imported crude oil comes from the US and Norway, so it’s not solely reliant on oil from the Middle East.
“Drivers should be assured that there are good fuel supplies and people should not change their fuelling habits,” the head of roads policy at the AA, Jack Cousens, said. “Nevertheless, advice to drive as efficiently as possible is something that drivers could adopt at all times to save both fuel and money. Reducing speed and braking less harshly are beneficial. Similarly, linking journeys together contributes to saving fuel.”
