Speed limits in Spain heat up

Although it is not the season for April Fools’ pranks, in recent days Mr. Pere Navarro has been very busy with arguments against raising the speed limit on motorways and dual carriageways to 140 km/h. The proposal came from an Internet site called Movimiento 140, which currently has 131,000 people who have signed in favour of legalising 140 km/h.

While some stubbornly defend the “benefits” of driving at 140 km/h on motorways, others bring up accident data and statistics from around the world, from countries that have or have had a higher limit than Spain.

According to European Union data, updated to last year, the truth is that there is no country in Europe with a 140 km/h motorway limit (some sections may not be included in this table). But the limits closest to 140 are found in roughly half of the European countries, with 130 km/h as the maximum, except for special cases on certain stretches in Germany, where unlimited speed is permitted.

I think it is not just a matter of raising the limit on a whim. Other factors must be considered, such as better driver education, which is very good in other countries, average in Spain. In Germany, nobody obstructs you, and everyone (absolutely everyone) gives way when someone comes at more than 200 km/h (many go at 300 km/h). In the German case, it is not only about respect, but also about knowing how to drive at those speeds and knowing how to react to the unexpected.

Weighing the pros and cons: do you think the speed limit in Spain should be raised?

Source | European Union website

More information | Movimiento 140, Globedia