Speed Limits by Country

The speed limit was born in 1861 when the United Kingdom introduced a 10 mile per hour maximum known as the Locomotive Act. The UK is today one of the only places in the world to show speed limits in miles per hour while most other countries use kilometres per hour.

Today there is only one country in the world which has no speed limits at all – the Isle of Man – though famously there are areas of the German autobahns (motorways) which have only advisory speed limits known as 'richgeschwindigkeit'. Ironically fatalities on the autobahns have been less than some countries with lower speed limits like Japan where the limit is 100 kms per hour.

Speed limits vary in the various American states and between 1995 and 1999 Montana had a 'reasonable and prudent' speed limit which was non numerical. In the Northern Territory of Australia a speed limit of 110 or 130 kms per hour was introduced in 2007 after years of having no limits.

Poland has the world's highest speed limit which is 140 kms per hour on motorways, though the Austrians dabbled with having a 160 kms per hour variable limit on motorways in 2006. Variable speed limits are used on the M25 motorway in Britain with great success and they cut down on accidents and delays. Germany also has an advanced computer controlled variable speed limit system.

The United States generally has quite low speed limits at about 50 kms per hour on many freeways. In most of Europe the corresponding speed is 60 kms per hour. Europe designs its speed signs according to the Vienna convention on Road Signs and signals and uses a circular with black text on a white background and a red border. By contrast Canada and the U.S use rectangular signs

Speed Limits By Kilometers per Hour (KMS)

Australia	90-110
Argentina	100-130
Austria	130
Algeria	120
France	110-130
Brazil	80-120
Belgium	120
Bulgaria	130
Ukraine	130
China	100-120
Portugal	120
Canada	70-110
Cuba	100
Chile	120
Czech Republic	130
Croatia	130
Denmark	110-130
Japan	100
Egypt	90
Estonia	No Motorways
El Salvador	90
Finland	120
Georgia	80
Ghana	No Motorways
Germany	130 some parts no limit
Greece	120
Gibraltar	No Motorways
Hungary	130
Hong Kong	70-110
Norway	100
India	100
Iceland	90
Israel	110
Ireland	120
Italy	130
Jordan	No Motorways
Jamaica	80
Kenya	110
Lithuania	110-130
Luxembourg	130
Mexico	100
Malta	No Motorways
Malaysia	110
Netherlands	120
New Zealand	100
Poland	140
Romania	130
Russia	110
Serbia	120
Slovakia	130
Switzerland	120
Slovenia	130
South Africa	120
Saudi Arabia	80-120
Singapore	90
Spain	120
Sweden	90
Thailand	120
Turkey	120
United States	90-130
United Kingdom	80-113