Speed limits by country

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A speed limit is the limit of speed allowed by law for road vehicles, usually the maximum speed allowed. Occasionally, there is a minimum speed limit.[1] Advisory speed limits also exist, which are recommended but not mandatory speeds. Speed limits are commonly set by the legislative bodies of national or local governments.

Highest-posted speed limits around the world. Kilometres per hour are on the left and miles per hour on the right.
Speed limit units on traffic signs around the world:
  Kilometres per hour (km/h)
  Miles per hour (mph)
  Both
  No speed limit units

Overview

The following tables show various jurisdictions' default speed limits (where applicable) that apply to different types of vehicles travelling on three different types of road. Actual speed limits may range beyond these values. The enforcement tolerance is specified in km/h or percentage above the stated limit.

Germany is the only country where some motorways do not have a maximum speed limit. The 130 km/h is sign-posted as a general advisory speed limit for motorways in the entry of the country. Due to those Autobahns, Germany is considered a country without a general speed limit on its highways.[2] The Isle of Man is the only jurisdiction without a general speed limit on rural two-lane roads.

The fastest speed limit posted in the countries with a numerical maximum speed limit is 160 km/h, found on two highways in the United Arab Emirates, including the E11 Road (Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed International Road), specifically the stretch from Ghuwaifat Border with Saudi Arabia to Abu Dhabi, and the E22 Road (Al Ain Road) between Abu Dhabi and Al Ain.[3]


Definitions

Numerous countries have a different general speed limit for urban roads than on remaining roads. Such differences exist since the beginning of the 20th century, in countries such as United Kingdom and France. This concept is formally defined as road within built-up area in various regulations, including the Vienna Convention, even if the UK has re-branded them as street lighted or restricted areas. More informally they are known as urban roads. In 2017, most of all IRTAD countries have a default speed limit in urban roads of 50 km/h, with various lower speeds, for instance, in the Netherlands, 70% of the urban roads are limited to 30 km/h.[4]

Some countries, for instance the US, India or China, do not have a specific urban road maximum speed.

Different speed limits exist for heavy goods vehicles (HGV) but the limits for HGVs are country dependent: while most Eurasian and American countries might use the Vienna Convention's 3.5-tonne limit, other countries in North America, China, India, Australia or Ireland might use different weight limits.

Countries

(Speed limits are indicated in kilometers per hour (km/h), except as noted.)

More information Country, Within towns ...
Country Within towns Controlled-access highway/ motorway/freeway/expressway Interurban roads outside built-up areas/regional highways Automobiles & motorcycles Lorries or automobiles with trailer Enforcement tolerance
Albania[5][6] 40 Expressways: 90;

Motorways: 110 (130 on the A1);

 80 80–90 60–70 10 km/h
Andorra[7] 50 N/A 90 90 90 (automobiles) N/A
Argentina 40–60 100–130 80 80–110 80 10 km/h
Australia[8] 40–60 100-110[fn 1] 100-130[fn 2] 100–110[9] 100 [fn 2] Varies by state/territory[fn 3]
Austria[11] 50 100 - expressways

130 - motorways

 100 100 70/80 3 km/h up to 100 km/h; 3% above
Azerbaijan[12] 40–60 110 90 Up to 10 km/h
Bangladesh 40 80 80 80 (Automobiles)

50 (Motorcycles)

 50 10
Bahrain 50 100–120[13] 90 80 70 10
Belarus 60 120 (motorcycles 90)[14] 90 90 70 (90 on motorways) 10 km/h[15]
Belgium[16] 20–50 90–120 90
70 (Flemish Region)		 70–90 70–90 6 km/h up to 100 km/h, 6% over
Bhutan[17] 30 N/A 50 (light vehicles and 2-wheelers)
35 (medium and heavy vehicles)		 50 N/A N/A
Bosnia and Herzegovina[18] 50[19] 130 (motorways)
100 (expressways)		 80 80 80 10 km/h[20]
Botswana[21][22] 60 120 (80 for heavy vehicles, vehicles with a trailer and buses) 80 80 80 N/A
Brazil 40–70 80–120 80–100 80–110 80 (90 for buses) 7 km/h up to 100 km/h, 7% over, rounded to nearest integer[23]
Brunei 50 100 80 80 80 10 km/h
Bulgaria[24] 50 120 - expressways

140 (motorcycles 100) - motorways

 90 90 (motorcycles 80) 80 10 km/h
Canada[25] 30–50 100–120[26] 60–100 depends on province Officially 0 (fines specified for 10 km/h over in Alberta[27]), unofficially 20%–40% depending on officer
Chile 30–50 120 (automobiles & motorcycle)
100 (interurban bus only)		 90 90 90 10 km/h
China 30–60 100–120 80 60–80 80–100 [28] 10% of speed limit
— Hong Kong[29] 50 100–110[30] 70 50–80 50–70 10 km/h
— Macau 20–60 60–80 N/A 50–80 N/A 10 km/h
Costa Rica 45 80–100 80 60 60 10 km/h
Croatia 50 130 (motorways)
110 (expressways)		 80 90 80 10 km/h up to 100 km/h; 10% over
Cyprus[31] 30–50 100 100 80 80 10 km/h
Czech Republic[32] 50 150 (D3 between Tábor and České Budějovice)[33][34]
130 (motorways in general)
110—130 (roads for motor vehicles)
80 (urban roads for motor vehicles & motorways)		 90 90 80 3 km/h up to 100 km/h; 3% over
Denmark[35] 50 130 [36] 80 80 80 10 km/h up to 100 km/h; 10% over (Only for lasers and cameras)
— Faroe Islands 50 80 10 km/h
— Greenland 40–60[37]
Estonia 50 110–120[38][39] 90–100 90–120 90 10 km/h
Egypt 60 100–120 90 90–120 (for automobiles)
90–100 (for motorcycles)		 60–70 (for trucks)
80–100 (for buses)		 20 km/h
Finland[40] 50 80–120[41] 80 80 80 10 km/h
— Åland 50 70–90 10 km/h
France[42] 50 110 (100 in rain) (expressways)
130 (110 in rain) (motorways)		 80–90 80–90 60[43]–90 5 km/h up to 100 km/h, 5% above 100 km/h for fixed cameras; doubled for mobile radars
Georgia[44] 60 (20 in residential areas) 110 80 90 70 10
Germany[45] 50 No limit (130 recommended).[46] 100–No limit (130 recommended)[47] 100 60 (trucks over 7,5 t expect Autobahns), 80 (trucks over 3,5 t),
80-100 (certified trailers and coaches)[48]		 3 km/h up to 100 km/h, 3% over; differs for different speeding control methods
Greece[49] 50 110 (expressways)

130 (motorways)

 80 90 70 10
Hungary[50] 50 (in general)
30 (residential areas)
60–70 (main roads)		 110 (expressways)
130 (motorways)		 90 90–110 70 on rural roads and expressways. 80 on motorways 15 km/h up to (and including) 100 km/h; 20 km/h over
Iceland 50 90[51] 90 90 (paved roads) / 80 (gravel roads)[52] 80 10
India[53] 50 up to 120, often lower 60 80 65 20
Indonesia 40–60 80–100 80 50–80 60–80 10% of speed limit within towns
20% of speed limit in toll roads.[54]
Iran 50 70–120 70–110 70–110 70–110 20 km/h
Ireland[55] 30–50 120 80 (default but up to 100 where stated) 80 Trucks 90
Trailers 80		 Not defined.
Israel[56] 50 100–120 90 80–90 80 20 km/h
Italy 50 130 (110 in adverse weather) (motorways)
110 (expressways)		 90 90 70 5 km/h up to 100 km/h; 5% above 100 km/h
Jamaica[57] 50 80–110 80
Japan[58] 30–60 80–120 (national expressways)
70–80 (single-lane expressways)		 60 30 (~50cc)
100–120		 80 (trailers)
90 (trucks)		 14 km/h with very few exceptions[59]
Jordan 60 or less 120 80 80–120 80–100 20 km/h
Kazakhstan[60] [61] 60 (up to 90 on special roads, 50 for busses and 20 in residential zones) 110 – expressways

140 – motorways

 100 110 90–110 (trucks)

70–90 (busses)

 20 km/h
South Korea 30–60[62] 80–110 80 80–90 40–60 15 km/h
Latvia[63] 50 90–120 80–90 80–90 80 10 km/h
Lebanon 50 100 20 km/h
Liechtenstein[64] 50 N/A N/A 80 80 10 km/h
Lithuania[65] 50 110–130 90 70–90 70–90 10 km/h
Luxembourg[66] 50 130 (110 in rain) 90 90 75 3 km/h below 100 km/h; 3% above 100 km/h[67]
North Macedonia 50 120 80–100 10
Malaysia[68] 30–60 90–110 70–90 70–90[69] 70–80
80–90 (in expressway)		 10
Malta[70] 30–50 80 60 10
Mexico[71] 20–50 100–110 80–95[72] 70–90 80–95 20
Moldova 50 No such highways 90 (110 in certain areas only) 90–110 70 20
Monaco[73] 50 (30–70 on some sections of the roads) N/A N/A N/A N/A
Morocco 40–60 120 100 100 85–90 10% up to 70 km/h, 7 km/h
Netherlands[74] 50 (30 in residential areas, ca. 70% of urban streets (2008)[75]) 130 (motorway default)
100–120 (congested motorways, generally)[76][77]
100 (expressways)		 80 80 80[78][79] 3 km/h up to 100 km/h; 3% above 100 km/h
New Zealand[80] 30–50 100–110 60–100 100 (30–90 when towing, depending on vehicle)[81] 90 (80 school buses) 10 (school zones, 10)[82]
North Korea 40—70[83] (in certain areas as low as 5[84]) 80—120[85] N/A N/A N/A N/A
Norway[86] 50 100–110 80 80 80 10
Pakistan 40 100–120 100 50–80 100 10
Peru 30–50 80–100 100 (90 buses) 60–100 70–80 15
Philippines[87][88] 20–60 100[89] 40–80 40–80 30–50 20
Poland 50 100 (single-carriageway expressways)
120 (dual-carriageway expressways)
140 (motorways)		 90 90 (single-carriageway
100 (dual-carriageway)		 70 / 80 10[90]
Portugal 50 120 90 90–100 70–80 10
Romania[91] 50 (in certain areas as low as 25) 130 (motorways)
120 (expressways)
80 (expressways in mountainous areas)		 90 (100 on highways designated as European Roads) 90–100 70–90 10
Russia 60 (20 in residential areas) 110–130 90 90 70–90 20
San Marino[92] 50 N/A 70 70 N/A N/A
Saudi Arabia 120–140 80 (Trucks)

80–100 (Buses)

 4–10 km/h on highways [93]
Serbia 50 100 (expressways)
130[94] (motorways)		 80 80 80 0 km/h (No tolerance)
Singapore 50 90 60 80–90 60 10-20
Slovakia[95] 50 130 (motorways and expressways)[96]
90–130 (roads for motor vehicles)		 90 90 90 3 km/h up to 100 km/h; 3% over for mobile radars.[97]
Slovenia[98] 50 130 80–100 90 80 10
South Africa 60 120 80–100 80–100 80–100 20
Spain[99] 30–50 120 (motorways and expressways)[100][101][102] 80–90 90 90

100 (buses)

3–7 km/h up to 100 km/h; 3–7% over, depending on measurement technique
Sweden[103] 50 110–120 70–90 70–100 90

80 (with trailer)

 formally 1, but 9 is a common margin (3 deducted from the measured speed and 6 margin)
 Switzerland[104] 50, 30, 20 100 (expressways), 120 (motorways) 80 80 80 Only measurement tolerance: 3–14 km/h, depending on measurement method and speed limit[105]
Taiwan[106] 40–60 100–110[107] 80–90 50–80 60–80 10 km/h
Thailand 60–80 Expressway 80 km/h Motorway 120 km/h 100 90 80 25
Turkey 50–70–82 110 (expressways)(motorcycles 90 if L3, 80 if L4, L5, or L7, 45 if L1 or L6)

120–130–140 (motorways) (motorcycles 100 if L3, 80 if L4, L5, or L7, 0 if L1 or L6)[108][109][110]

 85 (expressways)

90 (motorways)[citation needed]

 90 (motorcycles 80 if L3) 80 10% over the limit
Ukraine 50 (20 in residential areas) 110–130 90 90 70–90 20
United Arab Emirates 80 140 120–140 120 80
United Kingdom[fn 4][111] 20 mph (32 km/h) some urban/residential areas and built up areas in Wales

30 mph (48 km/h) built up areas 40 mph on some roads in built up areas.

70 mph (112 km/h)
(for both motorways and dual-carriageways)[fn 5]		 60/70 mph (96/112 km/h)[fn 6] dependent on class (motorways)
50/60/70 mph (80/96/112 km/h), ditto (trunk dual-carriageways)		 60 mph (96 km/h) 40/50/60 mph (64/80/96 km/h) dependent on class.[fn 6] 10% + 2mph recommended for enforcement, may vary.
Gibraltar[112] 30–50 N/A N/A N/A 35 for registered goods vehicles and buses 10
Isle of Man[fn 4] 30 mph (48 km/h) N/A No limit[113] N/A 5 mph (8 km/h)
United States[fn 4][114] 20–35 mph (32–56 km/h) 85 mph (137 km/h) (Texas SH-130 between I-10 and SH-45)
55–80 mph (89–129 km/h) (generally)[fn 7][fn 8]		 50–70 mph (80–113 km/h) 40–65 mph (64–105 km/h)[fn 9] Restrictions only in some states, typically 5–15 mph (8.0–24.1 km/h) lower. Varies by jurisdiction. Some states allow 5 mph (8.0 km/h), while automated enforcement is typically 5–11 mph (8.0–17.7 km/h).[115]
Vatican City 30[116] N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Venezuela 40–60 kilometres per hour (25–37 mph) 120[117] 60–120 80 40–60
Vietnam[118] 50–60[119] 120 (motorcycles 100) 60–90 60–80 60–80 20 km/h
Zimbabwe 60 kilometres per hour (37 mph) 80–120 kilometres per hour (50–75 mph) 80–120 kilometres per hour (50–75 mph)
Close
Zeichen 334: Ende einer Autobahn Usual interurban (non urban) speed limit in the European Union (except Cyprus), Albania, Kosovo, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, outside of motorways and outside of expressways
Legend:
   = 70 km/h;    = 80 km/h,    = 90 km/h;    = 96 km/h (60 mph);    = 100 km/h
Source Europa.eu[120]
National speed limits for heavy goods vehicle (HGV) (>3.5 tonnes according to Vienna convention) in the European Union, Kosovo, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, on all roads including motorways
Legend:
   = 60 km/h;    = 70 km/h,    = 80 km/h,    = 90 km/h;    = 100 km/h;    = 110 km/h;    = 112 km/h (70 mph)
source Europa.eu[120]

Notes

  1. [1]
    Default speed limits in Australia vary between states and territories. See Speed limits in Australia for more details.
  2. [2]
    No special limit applies for automobiles with trailers. A 100 km/h speed limit applies for heavy vehicles with a gross vehicle mass of 12 tonnes or more. A 100 km/h limit applies for buses with a gross vehicle mass of 5 tonnes or more. In some Australian states, Road Trains are limited to 90 km/h. In some cases, over steep descents or other potentially dangerous stretches of road, heavy vehicles may have other special speed limits as indicated by signage.
  3. [3]
    In Victoria, the tolerance is 2 km/h for fixed speed cameras, 3 km/h (or 3% for speeds over 100 km/h) for mobile speed cameras.[10] In the other states/territories the official tolerance is not disclosed to the public.
  4. [4]
    Speed limits are posted in miles per hour.
  5. [5]
    In general, non-urban, all-purpose dual carriageways are subject to the same 70 mph limit for light vehicles as motorways, but lower limits (50 and 60 mph) are in place for heavy trucks, buses/minibuses and towing vehicles. For instance, steeper or more winding alignments and less forgiving junctions than would be found on motorways necessitate lower limits for some stretches.
  6. [6]
    Generally in the UK, lorries over a laden weight of 7,500 kg (7.4 long tons) are speed-limited to 56 mph (90 km/h) even where they are legally permitted a higher speed. There are reduced limits for commercial vehicles and larger passenger vehicle. See Road speed limits in the United Kingdom
  7. [7]
    The state of Hawaii posts a 55 mph (89 km/h) speed limit on many Interstate highways.
  8. [8]
    One toll road near Austin, TX has a speed limit of 85 miles per hour. TxDOT Approves 85 MPH Limit for Stretch of Toll Road
  9. [9]
    The lower speed limit in large inner-cities may be as low as 45 mph (72 km/h) for example on I-90/94 which goes through Chicago. In many urban areas, controlled-access highways typically take 5 – 15 mph off the speed limit. For example, in Cleveland and Cuyahoga county, the speed limit is 60 mph (97 km/h). Once out of the county, the speed limit returns to 65 mph (105 km/h).

References

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