Since yesterday, dual carriageways in Spanish villages and towns have been subject to a maximum speed of 30 kilometres per hour. In narrow streets, for example, in city centers, the limit is even lower: 20 kilometers per hour.
Previously, 50 could be driven in most streets in the built-up area. This can now only be done on roads with four lanes or more. On larger motorways or highways, the speed limit remains 80 kilometres per hour.
The lower speed limit should, above all, reduce the number of road fatalities. The proportion of cyclists and pedestrians among the Spanish road deaths has increased in recent years from 41 percent ten years ago to more than 52 percent in 2019. At a lower speed, a cyclist or pedestrian has a greater chance of survival; moreover, the braking distance for vehicles is shorter.
According to estimates by the Spanish State Water Management, the measure has an impact on 60 to 70 per cent of roads in built-up areas. Anyone who ignores the new speed limit must take into account fines ranging from EUR 100 to EUR 600.
Large cities such as Madrid and Barcelona had already decided to lower the speed limit; for example, the capital has been using a limit of 30 since 2018.