speed limit Speed limits on road traffic, as used in most countries, set the legal maximum speed at which vehicles may travel on a given stretch of road. Speed limits are generally indicated on a traffic sign reflecting the maximum permitted speed - expre ...

is the limit of speed allowed by law for road vehicles, usually the maximum speed allowed. Occasionally, there is a minimum speed limit. 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.

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 The kilometre per hour ( SI symbol: km/h; non-standard abbreviations: kph, km/hr) is a unit of speed, expressing the number of kilometres travelled in one hour. History Although the metre was formally defined in 1799, the term "kilometres per h ...

unless otherwise stated. The enforcement tolerance is specified in km/h or percentage above the stated limit. For the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...

and the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

, the speed limit is still listed in

miles per hour Miles per hour (mph, m.p.h., MPH, or mi/h) is a British imperial and United States customary unit of speed expressing the number of miles travelled in one hour. It is used in the United Kingdom, the United States, and a number of smaller cou ...

. 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

Autobahn The (; German plural ) is the federal controlled-access highway system in Germany. The official German term is (abbreviated ''BAB''), which translates as 'federal motorway'. The literal meaning of the word is 'Federal Auto(mobile) Track' ...

s, Germany is considered a country without a general speed limit on its highways. The

Isle of Man ) , anthem = " O Land of Our Birth" , image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg , image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg , mapsize = , map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe , map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green) in Europ ...

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. 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 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

Footnotes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Speed Limits By Country Traffic law Road safety Law enforcement