Driving too fast? We never do. Driving faster than allowed? Ah, that’s another story. Nope, as an exemplary car platform, we’re here to tell you that you just have to stick to the speed. Checking how much energy your car has left above 200 km/h, you have to do that on the circuit. Or in places where that is allowed. So: what are all the countries without a speed limit on the highway?
Countries with no speed limit: Germany
We mention it for the sake of completeness, but as a TopGear reader and western neighbor you know that there are places on the German highway where there are no speed limits. Although there is strong lobbying for a maximum speed, you can still go as fast as you want for the time being. Provided there are no traffic jams, caravans or work. And they are always there.
Isle of Man (Isle of Man)
The Isle of Man (or Isle of Man) is known for the blood-curdling motorcycle races that are held there. There is of course no speed limit for these drivers during the event, but did you know that there is no speed limit outside built-up areas at all? And we’re not just talking about the highways. In fact, there are hardly any.
Note that you still have to behave on the road. The police can always fine you for dangerous driving. So take the boat to the Isle of Man to enjoy the roads there, but be responsible and consider other road users. You won’t be the first to overestimate yourself there.
All Highways in Vatican City
If you come across a highway in Vatican City, you can drive as fast as you want there. Why do you think the Pope had a Lamborghini Huracán? By the way, take a look at the map of Vatican City before you drive your car to Rome.
Australia is no longer on the list of countries without a speed limit
The Stuart Highway runs from the north to the south of Australia and is often simply referred to as The Track. In total, this highway is 2,720 kilometers long – so you are on the road for a while if you have to maintain 100 km/h. Until 2007 there was no speed limit on the huge highway, so you could drive on.
Although there is ample room for speeding, it also takes an eternity before emergency services are on the scene. There is also quite a bit of wildlife in Australia. For various reasons, a maximum speed of 130 km/h was therefore introduced in 2007. The striking thing was that the number of fatal accidents increased at that time.
Also read: There used to be no speed limit in the Netherlands either
In 2014, certain areas were reopened to drive as fast as you wanted, on a trial basis. The trial was successful and no fatalities were recorded. That is why even more parts were opened up where you could drive as fast as you wanted. Unfortunately, after eighteen months, the fun was over and the speed limit on the Stuart Highway is now 130 km/h again.
In the United Arab Emirates you are allowed 160 km/h
Not a stretch of asphalt where you can drive as fast as you want, but on the Abu Dhabi-Al Ain highway and the Sheikh Khalifa highway you can go 160 km/h. Abu Dhabi is the only emirate where you are not allowed to drive 20 km/h without a ticket; that is the case in other emirates. For example, in other emirates there are highways where you can drive 140 km/h, so there you can also drive 160 km/h in certain cases.
Prima Facie Speed Limit in America
In some US states you have something they call Prima Facie Speed Limits. Prima Facie in Latin means ‘at first sight’. This is the speed limit that applies if there are no signs indicating the speed. In California, for example, you can drive up to 40 km/h near schools if there are no signs.
Why we mention this: In some cases, the lack of a speed sign is interpreted as ‘no speed limit’. So this is not correct. Basically, you have a speed limit everywhere in the United States. However, it seems that these Prima Facie speed limits leave room for interpretation and that the fines are therefore easier to challenge. You don’t get that from us.
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