Speed limit
(Redirected from Speed limits)
Categories: Articles to be merged | Traffic law | Transportation
A speed limit is the maximum speed allowed by law for vehicles on a road. (Also, an axiom of Einstein's relativity theories states that the speed limit of the Universe is the speed of light in a vacuum, i.e., 299,792,458 metres per second.)
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Signage
Speed limits are usually marked with a traffic sign. Speed limit signs often appear near political borders and road intersections, and in some cases speed limit signs appear at regular intervals. Political borders can range from country borders to city limits.
In some cases, mainly borders surrounding the United Kingdom and the United States, different forms of speed measurement are used on each side of the border. For example, Northern Ireland (currently part of the UK) uses miles-per-hour for speed limits and miles for distance, while the Republic of Ireland uses the standard international system of kilometres/hour for speed limits and kilometres for distance. The Irish changeover from miles to kilometres on roads, finally completed in early 2005, was described by the Irish Minister for Transport as a "mini-euro" and a huge logistical operation. Britain, too, will likely switch to kilometres per hour in the foreseeable future (as they are required to under an EU directive), though this is unlikely before 2008.
Design speed
Speed limits are only peripherally related to the design speed of the road.
In the United States, the design speed is "a selected speed used to determine the various geometric design features of the roadway" according to the 2001 AASHTO Green Book, the highway design manual. It has been changed from previous versions which considered it the "maximum safe speed that can be maintained over a specific section of highway when conditions are so favorable that the design features of the highway govern."
The design speed has largely been discredited as a sole basis for establishing a speed limit. Current U.S. standards for design speed derive from outdated, less-capable automotive technology. Also, the design speed of a given roadway is the theoretical maximum safe speed of the roadway's worst feature (e.g., a curve, bottleneck, hill, etc.). The design speed usually underestimates the maximum safe speed for a roadway and is therefore considered only a very conservative "first guess" at a limit.
85th percentile rule
Since the 1950s, United States traffic engineers have been taught the 85th Percentile Rule. The idea is that the speed limit should be set to the speed below which 85% of vehicles are traveling. The 85th percentile closely corresponds to one standard deviation above the mean of a normal distribution.
Every state in the United States statutorily or administratively picks a particular speed for a speed limit cap, meaning that no speed limit in that state may be set higher than the cap. A practical effect of this cap is that nearly every rural roadway in the U.S. has a speed limit that is well below the 85th percentile speed.
Speed limits in specific countries
Australia
Speed limits in Australia range from 40 km/h (25 mph) to 110 km/h (70 mph) at 10 km/h intervals. Generally:
- School zones are 40 km/h (25 mph) during school hours, except in South Australia, where they are 25 km/h (15 mph). This speed limit is also enforced in some shopping precincts.
- Suburban roads are 50 km/h (30 mph) in most states.
- Major suburban routes are 60 km/h (40 mph) or 70km/h (45 mph) .
- Major connector roads and smaller highways are 80 km/h (50 mph) or 90km/h (55 mph) .
- Highways and freeways are 100 km/h (65 mph).
- National highway routes are 100 or 110 km/h (65–70 mph).
- Speed limits are reduced to 40 km/h near roadwork (25 km/h on urban roads), or 60 km/h where construction workers can be adequately protected (by concrete barriers, for example).
Some states do not have 50 km/h zones, and those that do have only introduced them in recent years.
It is not uncommon to see 70 km/h and 90 km/h limits on some roads, where a higher limit is deemed too dangerous, yet a lower limit is unreasonable for the traffic.
The Northern Territory is an exception, as there is no speed limit on the highways.
Speed traps are used in almost all areas of the country. Tolerance is from 8% to 10% in most states but only 3 km/h in Victoria, an issue which has caused a lot of controversy.
Canada
Typical speed limits are:
- 30–50 km/h (20–30 mph) within school and playground zones
- 40–50 km/h (25–30 mph) on residential streets within cities and towns
- 60–70 km/h (35–45 mph) on major arterial roads in urban and suburban areas
- 80–100 km/h (50–65 mph) on highways outside of cities and towns and urban expressways
- 100–110 km/h (65–70 mph) on freeways and rural expressways
Note that where more than one limit is given per road, it usually indicates a difference between provinces. However, within provinces, different roads of the same classification may have different speed limits. For example, in Alberta, some freeways have a limit of 100 km/h, while others have a speed limit of 110 km/h, but in Ontario, all freeways have a speed limit of 100 km/h unless posted as lower. Speed limits are generally lower in Ontario and Quebec on comparable roads than in other Canadian provinces. An example being rural, two-lane highways in Ontario having a standard speed limit of 80km/h, while comparable roads in other provinces having standard speed limits of 90–100km/h. In general Canadian speed limits are much lower than on comparable roads in Europe or the U.S. Also, note that these speed limits are reduced by varying amounts within construction zones.
China
Previously, all expressways in the People's Republic of China were limited to a maximum speed limit of 110 km/h (70 mph). With the passage of the PRC's first road-related law, the Road Traffic Safety Law of the People's Republic of China, speed limits were raised nationwide to 120 km/h (75 mph) as of May 1, 2004; however, the updating of signs (if and when it becomes complete) will still take some time.
Semi-expressways and city express routes (uniquely called kuaisu gonglu 快速公路 in Chinese, meaning "fast public road") generally have lower speed limits topping out at around 100 km/h (65 mph), and in some cases, the speed limit may be lower.
On China National Highways (which are not expressways), a common speed limit is 80 km/h (50 mph). In localities, speed limits may drop to 40 km/h (25 mph). In reality, few people drive according to the speed limits, and on some roads, enforcement cameras are nearly non-existent.
On some designated "fast through routes" in cities, speed limits can go all the way up to 80 km/h (50 mph). Otherwise, speed limits remain 70 km/h (45 mph) on roads with two uninterrupted yellow lines and 60 km/h (40 mph) or even 50 km/h (30 mph) otherwise. Signage in towns and on expressways is often present.
Minimum speed limits on expressways vary. A general minimum speed limit of 60 km/h (40 mph) is in force at all times (although traffic jams more than thwart it). According to law, the overtaking lane has a minimum speed limit of 110 km/h (70 mph), and a second lane often has a minimum speed limit of 90–100 km/h (55–65 mph). (The second lane, though, should only be set a minimum speed limit if third, fourth, and subsequent lanes exist.)
Europe
Table
See following table for the speed limits in European states:
Unit: km/h (mph in parenthesis)
| State | Automobile and Motorcycle | Automobile with Trailer | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| outside towns/motor routes* | Expressway/Motorway | outside towns/motor routes* | Expressway/Motorway | |
| Austria | 100 (65) | 130 (80) | 100 (65)4 | 100 (65)5 |
| Belgium | 90 (55) | 120 (75) | 90 (55) | 120 (75) |
| Croatia | 80 (50)/100 (65) | 130 (80) | 80 (50) | 80 (50) |
| Cyprus | 80 (50) | 100 (65) | 80 (50) | 100 (65) |
| Czech Republic | 90 (55)/130 (80) | 130 (80) | 80 (50) | 80 (50) |
| Denmark | 80 (50) | 130 (80) | 80 (50) | 80 (50) |
| Finland | 80 (50)/100 (65) | 120 (75)6 | 60 (40)/80 (50) | 80 (50) |
| France | 90 (55)/110 (70) | 130 (80) | 90 (55)/110 (70) | 130 (80) |
| Germany | 100 (65)/none1 | none1 | 80 (50) | 80 (50)/100 (65)7 |
| Greece (Cars) | 90 (55) | 120 (75) | 80 (50) | 80 (50) |
| Greece (Motorcycles) | 70 (45) | 90 (55) | ||
| Hungary | 90 (55)/110 (70) | 130 (80) | 70 (45) | 80 (50) |
| Ireland8 | 80 (50)/100 (65) | 120 (75) | 80 (50)/100 (65) | 80 (50) |
| Italy | 90 (55)/130 (80)2 | 130 (80)/150 (95)3 | 70 (45) | 80 (50) |
| Liechtenstein | 80 (50) | 80 (50) | ||
| Malta | 64 (40) | 64 (40) | ||
| Netherlands | 80 (50)/100 (65) | 120 (75) | 80 (50) | 80 (50) |
| Norway | 80 (50) | 90 (55)/100 (65)9 | 80 (50) | 80 (50) |
| Poland | 90 (55) | 130 (80) | 70 (45) | 80 (50) |
| Portugal | 90 (55) /100 (65) | 120 (75) | 70 (45)/80 (50) | 100 (65) |
| Romania | 90 (55) / 100 (65) | 130 (80) | 80 (50) | 100 (65) |
| Slovakia | 90 (55) | 130 (80) | 80 (50) | 80 (50) |
| Slovenia | 90 (55)/100 (65) | 130 (80) | 80 (50) | 80 (50) |
| Spain | 90 (55)/100 (65) | 120 (75) | 70 (45)/80 (50) | 80 (50) |
| Sweden | 70 (45)/90 (55) | 110 (70) | 80 (50) | 80 (50) |
| Switzerland | 80 (50)/100 (65) | 120 (75) | 80 (50) | 80 (50) |
| Turkey | 90 (55)/130 (80) | 130 (80) | 70 (45) | 70 (45) |
| United Kingdom10 | 95 (60) /110 (70) | 110 (70) | 80 (50)/95 (60) | 95 (60) |
*Motor routes: Roads with two or more lanes (dual carriageway), a median, and a minimum speed of 60 km/h (40 mph).
Remarks:
1 130 (80) is the recommended maximum speed on motorways as indicated by a blue sign. Many sections of the German motorway network are now also covered by enforcable speed limits, usually ranging from 80 to 120 km/h depending on local conditions. 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.
2 For motorcycles 110 (70).
3 Two-lane expressways: 130 (80); three-lane expressway: 150 (95) (since 2003, the speed limit of 150 km/h (95 mph) is only valid when signed).
4 Automobile with weighty trailer: 80 (50); Truck with weighty trailer: 70 (45).
5 Automobile with weighty trailer: 100 (65); Truck with weighty trailer: 80 (50).
6 During the winter months, when conditions are often bad, all Finnish motorways have a speed limit of 100 km/h (65 mph) or less.
7 Need to be licensed from the German Technical Inspection Authority (TÜV).
8 Effective January 20, 2005
9 A provisional increase of the speed limit on motorways from 90 to 100 km/h was made permanent when it turned out the number of accidents decreased.
10Signs are posted in miles per hour, a situation unlikely to change in the near future.
In most European states there is a general speed limit of 50 km/h (30 mph) inside towns.
Comments
The first British motorways did not have imposed speed limits. However, after a series of horrendous crashes, a supposedly temporary speed limit of 70 miles per hour (110 km/h) was enforced. The Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland and the Association of British Drivers have called for the limit to be increased. The Conservative Party are now proposing to raise the limit to 80 miles per hour (130 km/h), but it remains unclear whether this proposal will eventually become law.
On French autoroutes, there is a variable speed limit. In dry weather an autoroute has a speed limit of 130 km/h (80 mph), where when raining the speed limit is reduced to 110 km/h (70 mph). In 2005, a governmental report advised lowering this speed to 115 km/h in order to save fuel and reduce accident risks, but this proposal was badly received. Since 2002, the French government has installed a number of automatic radar guns on freeways, highways and other major thoroughfare, in addition to radars manned by the Police or Gendarmerie.
The German Autobahns are famous for not having speed limits for cars except where indicated by traffic signs. Blanket speed limits do apply for trucks, buses and cars pulling trailers. Speeds over 200 km/h (125 mph) are not uncommon, but there is a recommended speed (in German: "Richtgeschwindigkeit") of 130 km/h (80 mph). In case of a crash, insurance payments can be dropped by exceeding the recommended speed. Some areas have compulsory speed limits to reduce the noise cars produce when driving through residential areas. Many car manufacturers (including Mercedes, BMW and Audi) limit the speed of their cars electronically to 250 km/h (155 mph); this is only a gentlemen's agreement, not a legal requirement.
The Italian Autostradas have a 130 km/h (80 mph) speed limit, with 110 km/h (70 mph) limits on curvy roads and in rainy conditions and 150 km/h (95 mph) limits on newer and straighter roads.
Swiss Autobahns are limited to 120 km/h (75 mph) as a maximum speed limit. Semi-motorways, known as "motor roads" or Autostrasse, have a generally lower speed limit of 100 km/h (65 mph).
New Zealand
Speed limits in New Zealand range from 20 km/h to 100 km/h. Specifically:
- 20 km/h (10 mph) past school buses and accident sites
- 30 km/h (20 mph) past roadworks
- 50 km/h (30 mph) in most urban areas
- 60 km/h (40 mph) for many city arterial routes
- 70 km/h or 80 km/h (45–50 mph) on highways through built-up areas, or on dangerous or older roads.
- 100 km/h (65 mph) on expressways and highways
Some vehicles are restricted to lower speeds:
- 90 km/h (55 mph) for trucks and vehicles with trailers
- 80 km/h (50 mph) for school buses
- 70 km/h (45 mph) for motorcyclists with learner licences
United States
On Interstate highways in the United States, presently speed limits range from urban limits as low as 40 mph (65 km/h) to rural limits as high as 75 mph (120 km/h)[2]. Before the 1973 energy crisis, the highest posted limit was on the Kansas Turnpike, 80 mph (130 km/h), while some states posted no speed limit on Interstate highways. In 1974 Congress imposed a nationwide 55 mph (90 km/h) speed limit by threatening to withhold highway funds from states that did not adopt this limit. It was estimated a speed of 55 mph used 17% less fuel per mile than a speed of 75 mph (120 km/h). It was also believed, based on a noticeable drop the first year the limit was imposed, that it cut down on highway deaths, but later studies were more mixed on this point. This limit was unpopular, especially in Western states. In 1987 states were permitted to raise speed limits to 65 mph (105 km/h) on rural Interstate highways.
All federal speed limit controls were lifted on November 28, 1995, leaving the task of setting maximum speeds to the states. Immediately, Montana reverted to non-numerical speed limits on most rural highways; the legislature changed the law in 1999 to a maximum 75-mph due to a ruling from the Montana Supreme Court [December 23, 1998; case No. 97-486, described further in the Montana section of this article].
Many other states reverted to older policies allowing speed limits higher than 65 mph (105 km/h). However, no road currently has a speed limit above 75 mph (120 km/h)[3], and within major city limits, limited access roadways usually have speed limits of 60 mph (105 km/h) or lower.
California
In California many speed limit signs are identified as "Maximum Speed", usually when the limit is 55 mph (90 km/h) or more.
Kansas
Montana
It is a myth that Montana recently had no speed limit. In fact, for years before the National Maximum Speed Limit of 1974 and for four years after its repeal in 1995, Montana relied on a "reasonable and prudent" speed limit during the daytime on most rural roads. Montana Code Annotated (MCA) Section 61-8-303 said "A person ... shall drive the vehicle ... at a rate of speed no greater than is reasonable and proper under the conditions existing at the point of operation...so as not to unduly or unreasonably endanger the life, limb, property, or other rights of a person entitled to the use of the street or highway."
Montana law also specified a few numeric limits: a night speed limit, usually 65 MPH or 55 MPH, depending on road type; 25-mph in urban districts and 35-mph in construction zones.
The phrase "reasonable and prudent" is found in the language of most state laws. This allows prosecution under conditions such as rain or snow when even the maximum posted speed would be imprudently fast. However, on March 10, 1996 [4], a Montana Patrolman issued a speed ticket to a driver traveling at 85-mph on a lonely stretch of State Highway 200; the 50-year-old male driver was operating a 1996 Camaro with less than 10,000 miles on the odometer. Although the officer gave no opinion as to what would have been a reasonable speed, the driver was convicted. The driver appealed all the way to the Montana Supreme Court. The Court reversed the conviction in case No. 97-486 on December 23, 1998; it held that a law requiring drivers to drive at a non-numerical "reasonable and proper" speed "is so vague that it violates the Due Process Clause ... of the Montana Constitution".
In June 1999, a new Montana speed limit law went into effect. The law's practical effect was to require posted limits on all roads and disallow any speed limit higher than 75 mph (120 km/h). Montana law still contains a section that says "a person shall operate a vehicle in a careful and prudent manner and at a reduced rate of speed no greater than is reasonable and prudent under the conditions existing at the point of operation, taking into account the amount and character of traffic, visibility, weather, and roadway conditions."
Texas
Texas is the only state whose speed limit laws and rules generally do not prescribe a specific limit for each type of roadway. Any rural road—two lane, four lane, Interstate, or otherwise—that is numbered by the state or federal government has a 70 mph (110 km/h) statutory limit[5]. The law generally allows changing the 70 mph limit only if a study recommends a different limit[6].
75 mph and 80 mph limits
In 2001, the Texas Legislature allowed the Texas Department of Transportation to post 75 mph (120 km/h) speed limits in counties with fewer than 10 people per square mile[7]. This has the practical effect of only allowing 75 mph speed limits in the most sparsely populated counties, all of which are generally well west of a line stretching from San Antonio to Odessa. In 2005, the Texas Legislature revised this law, allowing 80 mph (130 km/h) limits on I-10 and I-20 in certain rural counties in west Texas[8]. This law also revised the eligibility for 75 mph speed limits: now eligible counties can have up to 15 persons per square mile.
Texas law does not disallow 75 mph speed limits on two-lane roads. Several west Texas 2 lane roads carry 75 mph limits, including portions of US 90[9]. No other state has a limit higher than 70 mph on any 2 lane road.
Night speed limits
Texas is the only state with a broadly applicable night speed limit. Texas statutorily prescribes a blanket 65 mph (100 km/h) night speed limit on roads with a speed limit of at least 70 mph (110 km/h)[10]. While the Texas Department of Transportation has the power to raise or lower this night speed limit, it in fact rarely does, so nearly every 70 mph or higher speed limit sign has an accompanying 65 mph night speed limit sign.
North Dakota, Montana[11], and Oklahoma also have night speed limits, but they are only generally applicable to rural, non-Interstate-class roads.
Environmental speed limits
Texas
Initial studies suggested the lower speed limits could bring the areas roughly 1.5% closer to compliance[14]. However, follow-up studies suggest that the actual benefit is only a fraction of this original estimate. First, the emissions modeling software used for intitial estimations, MOBILE 5a, overestimated the emissions contribution of speed limit reductions. Rerunning the models with the next generation software, MOBILE 6, produced dramatically lower emissions reductions. Second, speed checks in the Dallas area performed 1 year after implementation of speed limit reductions show that actual speed reductions are only about 1.6 MPH, a fraction of the anticipated 5.5 MPH speed reduction. With both of these facts combined, it is possible that the speed limit reductions only provide a thousandth of the total emissions reductions necessary for Clean Air Act compliance.[15]
The Houston-Galveston area briefly had all roadways capped at 55 mph (90 km/h) in mid-2002[16]. Facing immense opposition[17][18], poor compliance[19], and the realization that lowered speed limits produced only a fraction of the originally estimated emissions reductions[20], the TCEQ relented and reverted to the 5 mph reduction scheme[21].
In 2003, the Texas Legislature prospectively banned environmental speed limits effective September 1, 2003. The wording of the bill allows environmental speed limits already in place to remain indefinitely; no new miles of roadway may be subjected to environmental speed limits, however[22].
This law has allowed interesting inconsistencies. Generally, all primary arterial roadways within the inner loops of Texas cities have speed limits of 60 mph (95 km/h) or lower, so they were not subjected to environmental speed limits. Arterial roads between the inner loop and the outer loop generally have 65 mph (100 km/h) limits, and arterial roads outside the outer loop generally have 70 mph (110 km/h) limits. (Note that this "standard" is only an observed pattern. It is not prescribed by law.) In at least one case—TX 121 between I-35W and I-820 in Ft. Worth—the speed limit rises from 60 mph to 65 mph as one crosses IH-820 approaching downtown[23], contravening the standard.
Tennessee
Following the example of Texas, Tennessee has used environmental speed limits as part of pollution control efforts in Shelby County, lowering the maximum truck speed limit to 55 mph (88 km/h) and the maximum car speed limit to 65 mph (100 km/h) within the county.[24]
Minimum speeds
In addition to the legally defined maximum speed, minimum speeds may be posted. There is little evidence to suggest they are enforced. In California, the minimum speed by regulation on freeways (in free flowing traffic) is 45 mph (70 km/h), although this is generally not posted.
Truck speeds
A number of states set different speed limits for trucks, buses, and other commercial vehicles that are lower than those for passenger cars. The largest differential in these speed limits is in Michigan, where passenger cars are permitted to drive 70 mph (110 km/h) on rural freeways, while trucks are required to drive no faster than 55 mph (90 km/h).
Paradoxically, this means that truck traffic legally must slow down when leaving Ohio and Indiana and entering Michigan on Interstate highways, while car traffic can speed up at the state line.
In general
On US roads, the speed limits are usually as follows:
- 15–25 mph (25–40 km/h) in school zones
- 25–30 mph (40–50 km/h) on residential streets in cities and towns
- 35–45 mph (55–70 km/h) on major arterial roads in urban and suburban areas
- 45–70 mph (70–110 km/h) on highways outside cities and towns and urban expressways
- 55–70 mph (90–110 km/h) on non-Interstate freeways and rural expressways.
- 65–75 mph (105–120 km/h) on rural Interstate freeways
Generally, western states have higher limits than eastern states.
For a current listing of all U.S. State Highway Speed Limits click on Speed Limits by State, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
Enforcement
There are various means of enforcing set speed limits. Usually police and state highway patrol officers use radar, laser detection equipment, planes, and automated devices to enforce speed limits.
In several countries, notably the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, an increase in automated speed enforcement has resulted in a significant increase in the number of fake licence plates.
According to the AASHTO, "experience has ... shown that speed limits set arbitrarily below the reasonable and prudent speed perceived by the public are difficult to enforce, produce noncompliance, encourage disrespect for the law, create unnecessary antagonism toward law enforcement officers, and divert traffic to lesser routes[.]"[25] Arbitrarily low speed limits also make violators out of otherwise reasonable drivers.
Safety
Crash forces are proportional to the square of the speed. This means that crash forces rise much faster than speed. For example, the percentage increase in crash forces between 70 MPH and 60 MPH is twice the percentage speed increase.
While it is true that higher speed usually increases the severity of crashes, there is not an automatic correlation between speed or a speed limit and aggregate safety. Sometimes a speed limit can be too high, i.e. that a decrease of the speed limit will increase overall safety. Sometimes the speed limit can also be too low, so that an increase of the speed limit increases overall safety.
Many factors define the safety value of speed limits, and some have nothing to do with an individual motorist's vehicle speed. Examples are driver alertness, distractions, road conditions, weather, other drivers, and wildlife. However, unlike speed, some of these factors are not under the full control of the driver. This suggests that limiting vehicle speeds can play a role in reducing the frequency and severity of crashes if only to give the driver more time to respond appropriately in the face of unexpected dangers. However, the efficacy of speed limits in restraining driver speed is subject to debate as several university and government studies in the US have found a weak link between speed limits and actual speeds.[26]
Crash causation should not be regarded as being due to speed or other factors in isolation. These other factors, such as the weather and the condition of the road, interact with speed. This combination of factors may lead to a crash. In many cases, the crash probability could have been reduced if the speed had been reduced. For example, a slower vehicle is less likely to skid on a wet road. Speed plays a part of the causal chain which leads to crashes.
Another view is that speed magnifies the consequences of other unsafe acts, and in of itself, speed is often not a causitive factor. This viewpoint is reinforced by the fact that if speed is a crash factor, it is usually accompanied by other crash factors. Removing one or more of these other factors often can prevent the crash. In the right cases, reducing the speed could reduce the probability of a crash, but it cannot guarantee no crash.
This view can be illustrated with a hypothetical situation: suppose a motorist ignores a traffic control device, like a yield sign, and causes a crash with another vehicle that had right of way but was traveling 10 MPH over the speed limit. Even though under US standards speed could be listed as a crash factor, slowing down the vehicle having right of way would have an unclear effect on preventing that crash. Furthermore, the crash would not have occurred at all had the offending motorist yielded right of way.
Several studies performed in the U.S., including ones performed after speed limit increases in the late 1980s and mid- to late 1990s, produced mixed empirical evidence on the relationship between speed and safety[27]. Sometimes no overall effects was noticed, and sometimes overall fatalities and crashes declined. Some studies found more fatalities, but they are sometimes criticized for inadequately explaining why adjacent roads often had fewer crashes or why systemwide safety effects were minimal or sometimes positive. A theory is that higher speed limits on Interstate roads invite travel on safer roads. Another theory is that higher speed limits encourage slower drivers to match the faster flow of traffic, thus reducing speed differentials, reducing lane changes, and reducing driver frustration.
Roads without speed limits
A few public roads still have no speed limit.
The most famous are the German intercity Autobahn, most of which has no speed limit.
Australia's Northern Territory has no blanket speed limits outside major towns.
The Isle of Man has no speed limit on most rural roads. A 2004 proposal for 70 and 60 mph speed limits was very unpopular[28].
India still does not enforce a speed limit. Speeds above 90 mph are generally not possible because of the quality of the road system, although such speeds are still achievable in the right places.
Montana has had a numeric speed limit since June 1999. Please see the Montana section of this page for more information.
Footnotes
- ^ The Texas legislature legalized 80 MPH speed limits, effective Sept. 1, 2005, on certain parts of I-10 and I-20 in far west Texas. However, this legislation only allows--not requires--the Texas Transportation Commission to set these speed limits. The Texas Department of Transportation is still studying 80 MPH limits, so no Texas roads carry 80 MPH limits yet.#75_mph_and_80_mph_limits
See also
- Hierarchy of roads
- Interstate highway
- Speed trap
- Road-rule enforcement camera
- Traffic Violations Reciprocity
External links
- Association of British Drivers - Speed Limits: their correct use, setting, and enforcement
- Association of British Drivers - Submission for the raising of the motorway speed limit
- They call themselves the voice of the driver. But who do they really represent? A Guardian expose of 'The Association of British Drivers'.
- what speeding in France will cost you
- Aren Cambre's Speed Limit Facts Database
- picture of Kansas's old 80 mph speed limit sign
- John F. Carr's State Traffic and Speed Laws
- Speed Cameras:10 Criticisms and Why They Are Flawed From The UK Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety
- Transport, Local Government and the Regions - Ninth Report A comprehensive UK report into the effects of speeding.
- Speed and Accidents - Lets Put the Record Straight The UK Transport Research Laboratories response to the misrepresentation of their work by the ABD and others.
- The Speeding Driver: Who, How and Why? A major research report into the pyschology of the speeding driver.
- Slower Speeds Initiative A UK road safety organisation which campaigns for lower speed limits.de:Tempolimit