Speed limits in Spain
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Spain has different speed limits for every kind of road and vehicle.
History of changes
[edit]There were no speed limits on Spanish motorways until a generic limit of 130 km/h was instated in 1973 in order to save fuel during the 1973 energy crisis. It was lowered to 100 km/h to prevent accidents,[when?] but raised again in 1992 to 120 km/h. Proposals to raise the speed limit to 130 km/h have so far been rejected.
In 2011 from 7 March through 30 June, in order to save fuel due to the ongoing Arab Spring, the maximum speed limit in Spain was reduced from 120 km/h to 110 km/h.[1]
On 29 January 2019, the speed limit was reduced from 100 km/h to 90 km/h on single-lane rural roads.[2]
Standard motorway speed limit
[edit]On Motorways and autovías:
- 120 km/h for cars and motorbikes
- 100 km/h for buses and vans
- 90 km/h for trucks and vehicles with a trailer weighing 750 kg or less
- 80 km/h for vehicles with a trailer weighing more than 750 kg
Bicycles and mopeds are not allowed to access a motorway, although only bicycles (not mopeds) may ride on the shoulders of autovías.
Standard interurban rural roads speed limit
[edit]- 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][failed verification]
Specific speed limits
[edit]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 limit of 60 km/h is mandatory for all vehicles. Minimum speeds on other 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.[3]
Built-up areas
[edit]- 50 km/h on urban roads with two lanes per direction
- 30 km/h on urban roads with one lane per direction
- 20 km/h on urban roads shared with pedestrians
References
[edit]- ^ Article regarding the temporary speed limit reduction - El País[dead link]
- ^ a b Kulikowska, Agnieszka (2019-01-29). "New speed limits are in force in Spain from today". trans.info. Retrieved 2019-10-12.
- ^ "La nueva Ley de Tráfico, punto por punto". ABC.es (in Spanish). 2010-05-17. Retrieved 2025-05-13.
- ^ "New year, new norms". OnTheRoad. 29 March 2021. Retrieved 2025-05-13.