How to recognise the prevailing speed limit?

Answer

General limits

Drivers in the Netherlands need to know the general limits in the urban and rural areas and to comply with them. Explicit limit signs are not required; they may be deduced from other signs, such as those marking the boundaries of the urban area (H01/H02), start or end of the trunk road (G03/G04) or motorway (G01/G02). By special lines and markings (essential recognisability characteristics), information about road type and the associated required (speed) behaviour can be supported ([23]; see SWOV fact sheet Principles for safe road design).

Start/end of urban area:
(H01/H02)

Start/end of trunk road:
(G03/G04)

Start/end of motorway:
(G01/G02)

Figure 6. Road signs from which speed information is to be deduced (Source: verkeersbordenoverzicht.nl)
 

Other limits

Other speed limits are indicated by signs along the road (start: A01; end: A02) or above the road. If the limit is time-varying, this is indicated by a supplementary plate below the speed limit sign. Sometimes, information about speed limits is also indicated by hectometre signs (BB07) and, increasingly, in cars, generally by means of a navigation system. The limit indicated by the navigation system is, by far, not always correct and (therefore) not legally valid.

Advisory speeds

Apart from signs indicating formal maximum speed, there are also signs indicating advisory speeds (A04) and end of advisory speeds (A05). These are local signs, for example for indicating a dangerous curve or other road danger. These signs advise road users and do not impose obligation.

Limit signs:
(A01 en A02 series)

Hectometre signs:
(BB07)

 

 

 

Advisory speeds:
(A04 and A05 series)

Figure 7. Examples of speed limit signs and advisory signs (Source: verkeersbordenoverzicht.nl)
Part of fact sheet

Speed and speed management

If the average speed on a road increases, crash risk also increases, as does the risk of a serious outcome.

Deze factsheet gebruiken?