Speed limits in Spain

Spain has different speed limits for every kind of road and vehicle. Until 1973, there were no speed limits on Spanish motorways, a generic limit of 130 km/h was instated then in order to save fuel during the 1973 energy crisis. It was lowered to 100 km/h to prevent accidents, but it was raised again in 1992, this time to 120 km/h. There have been proposals to raise the speed limit to 130 km/h, but have been rejected so far.

As of the 7 March 2011 and until 30 June 2011, the maximum speed limit in Spain was reduced from 120 km/h to 110 km/h, in order to save fuel due to the ongoing Arab Spring.[1]

On 29 January 2019, the speed limit was reduced from 100 km/h to 90 km/h on roads.[2]

Standard motorway speed limit

Bicycles and mopeds are not allowed to access a motorway – exceptionally bicycles may ride on the shoulders of autovías, but mopeds are banned.

Standard interurban rural roads speed limit
    • 90 km/h for cars, buses and motorbikes
    • 80 km/h for vans, trucks and vehicles with a trailer, or campers weighing more than 3,500 kg
    • 45 km/h for bicycles and mopeds[2]

On standard rural roads (but not motorways or autovías or urban streets[3]), cars and motorbikes are allowed to overtake at 20 km/h over the standard limit, if the vehicle being overtaken is travelling below the speed limit, and there is no posted speed limit lower than the standard. This permission decreases the time needed to overtake, and increases safety in the process. Conditions when a vehicle is considered overtaking are defined and regulated by 7 articles in chapter 7 under title 2 of the same law.

Specific speed limits

On all non-urban roads and motorways, school buses and vehicles containing contaminant, explosive or flammable materials must decrease their speed limit by 10 km/h.

On motorways, a minimum speed of 60 km/h is mandatory for all kinds of vehicles. Minimum speeds in the rest of roads are one half of the generic speed limit for every vehicle. If a posted speed limit sign is below this value, the minimum speed is the posted limit minus 10 km/h.

No legal sanction is established for driving at a measured speed within 3 to 10 percent over the speed limit, depending on the specific error margin of the radar.[4]

Built-up areas speed limit
  • Built-up areas:

In Bilbao, 90% of the city’s streets have a 30 km/h street limit while remaining streets are limited to 50 km/h. the aim of the city is to become the first spanish city with a general 30 km/h speed limit.[5]

References
  1. Article regarding the temporary speed limit reduction - El País
  2. "New speed limits are in force in Spain from today". Trans.INFO. Retrieved 2019-10-12.
  3. https://www.dgtinfo.es/limites-de-velocidad-en-espana/#Se_puede_sobrepasar_el_limite_de_velocidad_para_adelantar
  4. La nueva Ley de Tráfico, punto por punto - ABC.es (Spanish)
  5. https://etsc.eu/30km-h-limits-set-to-spread-in-2021/
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