With over eight million motorists taking to the road each year while on holiday abroad, Airport Parking and Hotels (APH) is helping ‘designated drivers’ this summer by highlighting the different speed limits in ten of the most popular holiday destinations for 2009.

The table highlights the speed limits in Australia, Egypt, France, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom and United States providing essential information for drivers travelling abroad this summer. Spain, the number one destination for Brits, has five different speed limits ranging from 12 mph (20 kph) to 75 mph (120 kph), depending on the type of road – more than any of the others in the top ten.

The research shows that speed limits on major roads such as motorways and highways can vary from 62 mph (100 kph) in the Netherlands to 80 mph (130 kph) in France. However the Netherlands also enforce a minimum speed limit on their motorway of 37 mph (60 kph) whereas the infamous Autobahn in Germany has a no speed limit policy on certain areas of the motorway. In some countries, such as France, limits are also reduced in bad weather or if it is a toll road.

Punishments for speeding abroad can be severe, with on-the-spot fines issued in France and drivers having their licence confiscated when caught driving more than 25 mph over the speed limit. The Netherlands are also very serious about speeding with speed cameras, unmarked police cars and mobile speed traps widely used along the roads with heavy on-the-spot fines issues, or even the car being impounded.

Nick Caunter, managing director of APH says: “With the speed limits varying significantly from country to country, we felt it was important to highlight the differences helping UK drivers to drive safely this summer.”

Speed limits abroad:

25 March 2009