Speed limits may be reduced on some Spanish roads

 

The Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT) has proposed a reduction to speed limits on Spain's single-carriageway roads.

Currently, the majority of major trunk roads with a hard shoulder of at least 1.5 metres wide have a speed limit of 100 Kmph (62.5 Mph), in line with most other European countries – including the UK, where the limit on similarly defined A and B roads is 60 Mph.

However, Pere Navarro, the head of the Agency believes that both accidents and fuel consumption could be reduced by lowering the speed limit by 10 Kmph.

Sr Navarro maintains that this could be done with no significant costs, as it could simply entail the removal of the speed limit signs altogether instead of modifying them, as there are already 90 Kmph signs on these roads where the hard shoulder narrows.

The proposal follows the reinstating of the motorway speed limits to 120 Kmph after their temporary reduction to 100 Kmph. The controversial measure was reported to have cost the country over 250'000 Euros in adding transfers showing the new speed limit across the country's motorway network.

The goal of the measure was to save fuel, however, savings quoted by various Ministries differed considerably, with the Minister of the Interior quoting savings of 600 Million Euros, whilst the Minister for Industry quoted savings of around 200 Million euros.

Experts agree that road vehicles are generally driven most economically at 130 kmph.