A speed limit is the fastest limit permitted for drivers to drive their vehicles on a particular road, lane, street, or highway. Usually, legislative as well as law enforcement bodies of a particular country set speed limits keeping in view a large number of things. Some of them include the following:
- Weather or road conditions in a particular area
- The volume of traffic on the roads or highways
- Special areas such as schools, hospitals among others having heavy footfalls.
For instance, if a road is curvy and narrow, it will have lower speed limits in comparison to the road that is wide and has lesser curves.
However, highways have some uniqueness in terms of their speed limits for various reasons. One of the most salient reasons is that they are often straight, don’t have any more curves, and appreciably wide. What it means is that their speed limits are higher than the roads with two lanes.
Nevertheless, the speed limits set for the highways are never more than reasonable keeping in view the safety of the motorists. Despite what the speed limits say, all motorists traveling in a vehicle on the highways need to adjust their speeds as per the weather conditions that are often unpredictable.
There are certain areas in almost all geographies where Radar Speed Signs are installed to alert of speeds but when the circumstances are dangerous, drivers are suggested to take decisions according to the situations.
This is most common in the United States, but what is the real picture of speeds across places across the globe? Montana has highways with no speed limit at all. Do other countries also have highways offering no speed limit phenomenon?
Here’s a concise summary:
In Germany, the Autobahn Highway has no speed limit. Regardless of how fast the drivers drive their vehicles, they would never be pulled over. Only about 30% of the roads and highways in the country have speed limits indicated through the Driver Feedback Signs, and there is nothing like universal speed limits enforced.
Some other speed limits instances from around the world include the following:
- The United States of America: between 55 and 80 mph
- China: 75 mph
- Australia: 80 mph
- The United Kingdom: 70 mph
- Switzerland: 75 mph
- Canada: 55 to 70 mph
- France: 68 mph during rains and 80 mph during clear weathers
- Italy: 80 mph, but limited to 70 mph during rainy conditions
- Netherlands: 75 mph
Except for Germany, most countries have speed limits for their highways. And, there is nothing bad about it. Only through control on speeding, the lives of millions of people can be saved each year around the globe. What is needed is the installation of effective and efficient speed signs alongside the road and highways.
These devices have proved to be the most useful tool in controlling the speeds and once installed they render operations in an almost maintenance-free way. These days, some advanced versions of electronic speed signs also come with the ability to run on solar power.