Speed limits by country
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. (One or other is rounded in each case.)
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. Speeds are listed in kilometres per hour unless otherwise stated. The enforcement tolerance is specified in km/h or percentage above the stated limit. For the United Kingdom and the United States, the speed limit is listed in miles per hour.[fn 1]
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.
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 Vienna convention, even if UK has re-branded them as street lighted or restricted area. More informally they are known as urban road. 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.[3]
Some countries, for instance the US, India or China, do not have a specific urban road maximum speed.
Different speed limits exist for heavy good vehicles (HGV) but the limit for HGV is country dependent: While most Eurasian and Latino-American states might use the Vienna convention 3.5 tonnes limit, other countries in North America, China, India, Australia or Ireland might use different weight limits.
Countries
| Country | Within towns | Automobiles & motorcycles | Expressways/motorways | Lorries or automobiles with trailer | Outside built-up areas/highways | Enforcement tolerance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Albania[4][5] | 40 | 80–90 | 110 | 60–70 | 80 | |
 Argentina | 40–60 | 80–110 | 100–130 | 80 | 80 | |
.svg.png.webp){kind=small} Australia[6] | 50–60 | 100–110[fn 2] | 100–130[fn 2] | 100[fn 3] | 100[fn 3] | 3 in Victoria, 10% over speed limit in other states |
 Austria[7] | 50 | 100 | 130 | 80–100 | 80–100 | |
 Azerbaijan[8] | 40–60 | 90 | 110 | |||
 Belarus | 60 | 90 | 110 ( 90) | 70 | 90 | |
.svg.png.webp){kind=small} Belgium[9] | 20–50 | 70–90 | 120 | 70–90 | 90 | |
 Bosnia and Herzegovina[10] | 50[11] | 80 | 130 (motorways) 100 (expressways) | 80 | 80 | |
 Brazil | 40–70 | 80–110 | 80–120 | 80 (90 for buses) | 80-100 | |
 Brunei | 50 | 80 | 100 | 80 | 80 | |
 Bulgaria[12] | 50 | 90 ( 80) | 140 ( 100) | 80 | 100 | |
.svg.png.webp){kind=small} Canada[13] | 30–50 | 60–80 | 80–120[14] | 60–100 | 70–110 | 10 km/h on highways[15] |
 Chile | 60 | 60 | 120 (automobiles & motorcycle) 90 (bus only) | 90 | 60 | |
 China | 30–60 | 60–80 | 100–120 | 80–100 (80–110 for Bus)[16] | 80 | 20% of speed limit in highways and 50% of speed limit within towns and outside built up area |
— Hong Kong[17] | 50 | 50–80 | 100–110[18] | 50–70 | 70 | 10 km/h |
— Macau | 20–60 | 50–80 | 60–80 | N/A | N/A | |
— Taiwan |
40–60 | 50–80 | 100–110 | 60–80 | 80–90 | |
 Costa Rica | 45 | 60 | 80–100 | 60 | 80 | |
 Croatia | 50 | 90 | 130 (motorways) 110 (expressways) | 80 | 80 | 10 km/h up to 100 km/h; 10% over |
 Cyprus[19] | 30–50 | 80 | 100 | 80 | 100 | |
 Czech Republic[20] | 50 | 90 | 80 (urban expressways & motorways)
110 (expressways) |
80 | 80 | 0 |
 Denmark[21] | 50 | 80 | 130 | 70 (80 for buses) | 80 | |
— Faroe Islands | 50 | 80 | ||||
— Greenland | 50 | 80 | ||||
 Estonia | 50 | 90–120 | 90 | 90 | ||
 Finland[22] | 50 | 80 | 80–120[fn 4] | 80 | 80 | |
— Åland | 50 | 70–90 | ||||
 France[23] | 50 | 80–90 | 110 (100 in rain) (expressways) 130 (110 in rain) (motorways) | 60[fn 5]–90 | 80–90 | |
 Georgia[24] | 60 (20 in residential areas) | 90 | 110 | 70 | 80 | |
 Germany[25] | 50 | 100 | None, recommended speed 130 km/h.[fn 6] | 60 (trucks) 80 | 80–100[fn 7] | 3 km/h up to 100 km/h; 3% over |
 Greece[26] | 50 | 90 | 110 (expressways)
130 (motorways) |
70 | 80 | |
 Hungary[27] | 50 | 90–110 | 130 | 70 | 80 | |
 Iceland | 50 | 90 (paved roads) / 80 (gravel roads)[28] | N/A | 80 | N/A | |
 India | 50 | 80 | 120 | 65 | 40 | |
 Indonesia | 30-60 | 60–80 | 80–100 | 60–80 | 80–100 | 0 |
 Iran | 50 | 70–110 | 70–120 | 70–110 | 70–110 | |
 Ireland[29] | 30–50 | 80–100 | 120 | 80 | 90 | |
 Israel[30] | 50 | 80–90 | 100–110 | 80 | 90 | 10 |
 Italy | 50 | 90 | 130 (110 in adverse weather) (motorways)
110 (expressways) |
70 | 80 | |
 Japan | 30-60 | 30 (~50cc), 30-60 (50cc~) | 100–120 70–80 (single-lane expressways) | 50–80 | 80 | |
 Kazakhstan[31] | 60 | 110 | 140 | |||
 South Korea | 30–60[32] | 80–90 | 80–120 | 40–60 | 80 | |
 Latvia[33] | 50 | 80–90 | 90–110 | 80 | 80–90 | |
 Lebanon | 50 | 100 | ||||
 Liechtenstein[34] | 50 | 80 | N/A | 80 | N/A | |
 Lithuania[35] | 50 | 70–90 | 110–130 | 70–90 | 90 | |
 Luxembourg[36] | 50 | 90 | 130 (110 in rain) | 75 | 90 | |
 Macedonia | 50 | 80–100 | 120 | |||
 Malaysia | 30–60 | 70–90[fn 8] | 110 | 70–80 | 80–90 | |
 Malta[37] | 30–50 | 80 | 60 | |||
 Mexico[38] | 20–50 | 70–90 | 100–110 | 80–95 | 80–95[39] | |
 Netherlands[40] | 50 (30 in residential areas) | 80 | 80–130[fn 9][fn 10] (motorways) 100 (expressways) | 80 | 80 | 7 km/h |
 New Zealand[41] | 30-50 | 100 (30-90 when towing, depending on vehicle)[42] | 100-110 | 90 (80 school buses) | 60-100 | 10 (school zones, 4)[43] |
 Norway[44] | 50 | 80 | 100–110 | 80 | 80 | |
 Pakistan | 40 | 50–80 | 100–120 | 100 | 100 | |
 Peru | 50 | 60–100 | 100 | 70–80 | 100 (90 buses) | |
 Philippines | 80 | 80–120 | 80–120 | |||
 Poland | 50 | 90 (single-lane) 100 (dual-lane) | 100 (single-lane expressways) 120 (dual-lane expressways) 140 (motorways) | 70 | 80 | |
 Portugal | 50 | 90–100 | 120 | 70–80 | 100 | |
 Romania[45] | 50 | 90–100 | 130 | 80–90 | 110 | 10 |
 Russia | 60 | 90 | 110 | 70–90 | 90 | 20 |
 Serbia | 50 | 80 | 100 (expressways)
130[46] (motorways) |
80 | 80 | |
 Singapore | 50 | 80–90 | 90 | 60 | 60 | 10 |
 Slovakia[47] | 50 | 90 | 130 (90 in built-up areas) | 90 | 90 | |
 Slovenia[48] | 50 | 90 | 130 | 80 | 80–100 | |
 South Africa | 60 | 80–100 | 120 | 80–100 | 80-100 | |
 Spain[49] | 30-50 | 90 | 120[fn 11] | 80 | 80–90 | 7 km/h up to 100 km/h; 7% over |
 Sweden[50] | 30–50 | 70–100 | 110–120 | 70–80 | 80–90 | |
 Switzerland[51] | 50 | 80 | 100 (expressways)
120 (motorways) |
80 | 80 | 0 |
 Thailand | 60-80 | 90 | 120 | 80 | 100 | |
 Turkey | 50 | 90 ( 80 if L3) | 110 (expressways )( 90 if L3)
120 ( |
80 | 85 (expressways)
90 (motorways)[52] |
10% over the limit |
 United Kingdom[fn 1][53] | 48 (30 mph) | 96 (60 mph) | 112 (70 mph) (both motorways and trunk dual-carriageways)[fn 12] | 64–96 (40–60 mph) dependent on class.[fn 13] | 96–112 (60–70 mph)[fn 13] dependent on class (motorways) 80–112 (50–70 mph), ditto (trunk dual-carriageways) | 3–14 (2–9 mph) dependent on limit and jurisdiction.[fn 14] Patrol officers use own discretion. |
— Gibraltar[54] | 30–50 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
— Isle of Man[fn 1] | 48 (30 mph) | No limit[55] | N/A | N/A | ||
 United States[fn 15] | 24–89 (15–55 mph) | 64–121 (40–75 mph)[fn 16] | 89–129 (55–80 mph)[fn 17][fn 18] | Restrictions only in some states, typically 5–15 mph lower. | ||
 Venezuela | 40–60 | 80 | 120[fn 19] | 40–60 | 60–120 | |
 Vietnam[56] | 31 ( 31) | 40 ( 40) | 40 ( 40) | 50 | 56 | |
 Zimbabwe | 60 | 80-120 | 80-120 | |||
Footnotes
- Speed limits are posted in miles per hour.
- Default speed limits in Australia vary between states and territories. See Speed limits in Australia for more details.
- 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.
- During winter motorways have a speed limit of 100 km/h or less. Also most roads with 100 km/h speed limit in summer have 80 km/h limit during winter.
- Speed limit is 60 km/h for trailers on 2-lane non-priority roads.
- Some sections are covered by speed limits, usually ranging from 80 to 130 km/h. It is usual for drivers involved in crashes who were exceeding the 'recommended' speed limit to be held to be at least partly at fault, regardless of the circumstances of the crash, and insurance companies have the right to withhold payment. Vehicles also must be able to go faster than 60 km/h.
- Additional trailer checkup (TÜV) and special speed plaque required on vehicle.
- The speed limit on Malaysian federal and state roads has been reduced to 80 km/h during festive seasons, starting from the 2006 Hari Raya Aidilfitri.
- 130 km/h is the default, but on substantial sections the limit is 100 km/h in densely populated regions or 80 km/h on major city ring roads. Nationally, a 100 km/h speed limit applies between 6:00 and 19:00 as of 1 March 2020.
- Cars or vans pulling a trailer with a total weight of less than 3.5 metric tons with the trailer weighing less than 750 kg are allowed to drive 90 km/h, except where a lower speed limit is posted.
- 100 km/h for vans, 90 km/h for vehicles with a trailer weighing 750 kg or less, 80 km/h for vehicles with a trailer weighing more than 750 kg.
- In general, non-urban, all-purpose (i.e. not limited to motor traffic, except in the case of "A(M)" roads) 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. These roads take the place of motorways where a high-traffic trunk route is required but building a motorway would be impractical for reasons of cost and/or geography. For instance, steeper or more winding alignments and less forgiving junctions than would be found on motorways necessitate lower limits for some stretches – as low as 30 mph in some cases, e.g. around Penmaenbach on the A55 in Wales, or a less severe 60 mph restriction on some parts of the A38 and A45.
- Generally in the UK, lorries over a laden weight of 7500 kg are mechanically or electronically speed-limited to 56 mph (90 km/h) because of overriding European law, even on motorways where they are legally permitted (under UK law) to travel at 60 mph. Some heavier machines are further limited to 53 mph (85 km/h) for the same reasons, and carry warning plates to this effect. Some lorries or trucks with a laden weight between 3500 kg and 7500 kg are also speed-limited to 56 mph (90 km/h) on all roads. On non-motorway roads, heavier trucks are legally limited to 50 (single-carriageway) or 60 (dual carriageway) mph (80 and 97 km/h) except in scotland where they are limited to 40 (single-carriageway) or 50 (dual carriageway (as of 6 April 2015), Medium trucks and buses/commercial van-based minibuses to 50 and 60 mph (80 and 97 km/h), though the latter are further subdivided: some are allowed a motorway speed of 97 km/h (60 mph) and others 70 mph (113 km/h). Light commercial vans are subject to the same 60/70/70 mph limits as private cars and motorcycles, and towing cycles/cars/vans subject to medium truck 50/60/60 limits.
- No blanket national guidelines exist, but most regional police forces are mooted to allow a 2 mph, 10%, or 10% + 2 mph tolerance (upper limits, IE these are the minimum speeds that will attract penalty), with no clear information on which level is in place in each jurisdiction. A driver on a 60 mph road may be able to sustain 61.9 or 67.9 mph without penalty either side of a border. 20 mph zones typically have a 5 mph tolerance to allow for poorer speedometer accuracy, increased difficulty of keeping to a constant low speed (and that these roads were typically under 30 mph limits until recently), and an understanding that the nature of a road attracting a 20 mph limit means drivers will need to be more vigilant and not "clock watching". Patrolling police officers not using static speed traps are free to make their own judgments depending on traffic, road conditions and driver behaviour - speeds in excess of 80 mph are often left unchallenged on free flowing trunk routes, but dangerously swift yet technically legal driving can still be prosecuted under separate statutes (dangerous driving, undue care and attention, etc), e.g. 60 mph on that same road in traffic and freezing fog.
- Signs are posted in mph. Until recently, speed limit signs on a stretch of Interstate 19 in southern Arizona were the only ones based on the metric system. As part of the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the federal government funded a project where the state of Arizona replaced the km/h signs on that stretch with miles-based speed limit signs.
- 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).
- The state of Hawaii posts a 55 mph (89 km/h) speed limit on many Interstate highways.
- 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
- The exact limit is depended on road conditions therefore speed limits are set by transit authorities through signals. Ley de Transito Terrestre, 3 November 2007 Archived 1 January 2013 at archive.today.
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