Urban speed limits are being dramatically reduced in Spain with effect from 11 May 2021. Many of the areas will be marked with signs but the limits are still in effect whether signed or not.

20km/h (12mph) on roads that have a single carriageway and path/sidewalk.
30km/h (18mph) on single-lane roads per direction of travel.
50km/h (31mph) on roads with two or more lanes per traffic direction.

Fines range from €100 to €600. Unlike the UK where speeding is not considered unless you are travelling at 10% plus 2mph over the limit (e.g. over 35mph in a 30 zone), the allowance in Spain is just 1km/h.

More information: https://www.healthplanspain.com/blog...ed-limits.html

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"For sheer delight there is nothing like altitude; it gives one the thrill of adventure
and enlarges the world in which you live," Irving Mather (1892-1966)

That seems a bit overkill... 12mph. May as well walk

Out of curiosity Tim, what are the current limits in Spain?

I suppose it's worth mentioning that these are urban limits and not - as I first thought after skim reading Tim's post - general national limits. Lots of places - and not only in Spain - have been dropping speed limits recently. The Gilet Jaunes and 'Twenty is Plenty' come to mind.

Urban areas currently 50 kph
Rural roads 90kph with a +20kph dispensation when overtaking
Motorways 120kph

What would be funny (but not very likely) would be to see Madrileños carefully observing the new urban limits and bringing the city to a halt.

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"For sheer delight there is nothing like altitude; it gives one the thrill of adventure
and enlarges the world in which you live," Irving Mather (1892-1966)

This is their plan. Back to good old days where the plebs stayed at home in fear of demons and ghouls and the elite didn't

Andy

I think that's the idea: 'Citizen, you should be riding a green-friendly bicycle instead of your evil pollution-mobile. Shame on you! Why do you hate Mother Nature so much?' etc.

In my city there have been moves to drop the local speed limits from 50 KPH down to 40 - and only 30 kph on the unmarked residential side streets. The cyclists love it; vehicle drivers, not so much.

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Bruce Clarke - 2020 Yamaha XV250

It's a cycling speed limit - so you have some means of getting from your two up, two down + privy out back terraced house to the leather tanning / iron foundry / chicken gutting factory where you and all your neighbours work. Hooter goes at 5.30pm and you cycle home to your wife who's been coughing TB blood spots onto her pinny all day and looking after your nine children, who all suffer from rickets and scurvy. But your tea of faggots and chips will be on the table the minute you walk in the door, just like it should be. Ee it's grand living in't future.

Good luck getting all of the cyclists to stick to the speed limits!

20km/h (12mph) on roads that have a single carriageway and path/sidewalk.


These are usually typical very small streets in towns in south europe. Often between old houses in crowded living areas. In Italy a rule since decades but often disregarded by local vespa pilots.

So why not to be nice and take care as a rider and go slowly?
Not really a problem rather a way to enjoy and explore the area around. I often found interesting shops, art galleries and nice places for a drink or a snack through this.

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So where is the logic in speed limits?

I can drive a car at 70 mph on a motorway and if nothing else goes wrong hit a bridge support . On a single carriageway its 60 so head on to another vehicle 120.

If there is fog, the knowledge proven on five driving tests has to be used to slow below the limit. I am never permitted to use this judgment to go higher, although having done the course, should I be employed by the government I could be.

I can drive a 44 tonner at 40 mph. Mass times velocity squared gives a result 1100 times greater for the energy I have available to squash pedestrians. I am allowed this because I passed the test.

A bicycle has enough energy to kill someone. I am not required to be tested, registered or fit a speedometer.

Motorways are the safest (and least polluting) roads.

I cannot be prosecuted for my potential to harm someone by any other means (except possibly knives and guns), carrying a pick handle is not attempted murder, neither is swinging it round my head, I have to be near another person . I can take a shot gun to the pub on the way home from dispatching a few crows because its a tool, but can never have an excuse for driving at 34 mph in well lit , deserted, fully visible street.

Speed limits are just the original, Edwardian, anti personal vehicle legislation. They could measure speed by distance and stop watch but didn't have CCTV etc. to catch actual harmful behaviour.

In narrow streets my training and experience would result in me going slowly. I would not be distracted by looking at the clock.

My street has a 20 limit and speed bumps. We get more pollution from the slow queue of vehicles rather than getting them past quickly. We get more crashes because 20 mph seems so slow the drivers are inattentive.

Andy

I hope this nonsence is only a temporary appearance caused through social impacts of the pandemic we all are suffering from in different shapes.

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