🍁 Speed Limits

brainstorm

Max speed limit by country - Rural Twinned Motorways

At 110km/h, the Canadian prairies rank 50th worldwide. The flattest, straightest roads in the world. Canadian speed limits are embarrassingly slow.

The only road in Canada that is even 120km/h is the Coquihalla Highway in BC.

#	Country	Max Speed Limit
1	🇩🇪 Germany	No Limit
2	🇦🇪 UAE	160km/h
3	🇨🇿 Czech Republic	150km/h
----	-----------------------------	-----------------
4	🇵🇱 Poland	140km/h
5	🇰🇿 Kazakhstan	140km/h
6	🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia	140km/h
7	🇹🇷 Turkey	140km/h
8	🇧🇬 Bulgaria	140km/h
----	-----------------------------	-----------------
9	🇷🇴 Romania	130km/h
10	🇭🇷 Croatia	130km/h
11	🇳🇱 Netherlands	130km/h
12	🇮🇹 Italy	130km/h
13	🇱🇺 Luxembourg	130km/h
14	🇸🇰 Slovakia	130km/h
15	🇦🇹 Austria	130km/h
16	🇩🇰 Denmark	130km/h
17	🇸🇮 Slovenia	130km/h
18	🇱🇹 Lithuania	130km/h
19	🇭🇺 Hungary	130km/h
20	🇬🇷 Greece	130km/h
21	🇫🇷 France	130km/h
22	🇦🇷 Argentina	130km/h
23	🇦🇺 Australia	130km/h
24	🇷🇸 Serbia	130km/h
25	🇺🇸 USA (excludes Pickle Parkway)	129km/h
----	-----------------------------	-----------------
26	🇯🇴 Jordan	120km/h
27	🇲🇦 Morocco	120km/h
28	🇵🇹 Portugal	120km/h
29	🇿🇦 South Africa	120km/h
30	🇪🇸 Spain	120km/h
31	🇻🇪 Venezuela	120km/h
32	🇸🇪 Sweden	120km/h
33	🇪🇪 Estonia	120km/h
34	🇮🇱 Israel	120km/h
35	🇵🇰 Pakistan	120km/h
36	🇪🇬 Egypt	120km/h
37	🇨🇭 Switzerland	120km/h
38	🇧🇪 Belgium	120km/h
39	🇱🇻 Latvia	120km/h
40	🇯🇵 Japan	120km/h
41	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	120km/h
42	🇫🇮 Finland	120km/h
43	🇰🇷 South Korea	120km/h
44	🇹🇭 Thailand	120km/h
45	🇮🇷 Iran	120km/h
46	🇻🇳 Vietnam	120km/h
47	🇨🇱 Chile	120km/h
48	🇧🇭 Bahrain	120km/h
49	🇧🇷 Brazil	120km/h
50	🇨🇦 Canada (110km/h except The Coq)	120km/h
51	🇮🇪 Ireland	120km/h

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_limits_by_country

brainstorm

BlackDog

There is no conclusive proof that photo radar reduces accidents or death. A few days ago, I was up early, going to 7-11, and I am pretty sure I got nabbed doing 74 in a 60 zone. Obviously, I should have followed the rules, but there were no vehicles out at 5 AM, and the radar light flashed after I crossed the intersection.

I can see $120 max, but I heard it started at $180, and it's $7,70 per km. Unsure if that is after 60 or 70. I knew there was a court case trying to change it to start at 10 km over the limit, but if not, it's going to be pricey.

Acajacques

They are clearly more about being cash cows for cities and provinces than they are about safety. Where I live some of the worst ones are along boulevards in industrial areas with very low pedestrian and cyclist traffic and minimal accident rates.

BlackDog

Got my ticket today.. $233.00 for doing 74 in a 60 zone early morning. Considering it was so early (just before sunrise),, with no vehicles on the road, I may go to court to see if I can get it reduced. I mean what do I have to lose?

lio45

BlackDog I mean what do I have to lose?

Well, here at least, the way it works is, when you lose after going to court, it's slightly more expensive in total, as there are other extra fees for taking it all the way then still losing.

Usually, when you know you'll lose, it's cheaper to just pay (plus, you save the time as well, obviously.)

If the judge is an old fart with a stick up his ass like the one in municipal court in my hometown, then you're 100% guaranteed guilty -- you DID go 74 in a 60 zone, that's totally cut-and-dried.

Acajacques

Blatant cash grab if there ever was one.

Acajacques

I contested one here in Gatineau and before we went in a young city lawyer sat down with me (she did the same with everyone else) and made the standard "plea bargain" offer of cutting it down by half. Though this was a ticket from a cop and the cop was present.

Though I generally agree that you'd probably have to pay more if you challenged a camera ticket and lost. You are (in their view) cluttering up the court system for no reason, and this costs them money. There has to be some form of cost dissuasion in there. At least from their perspective.

Now, when I get tickets in Ottawa or Ontario (one every 10-15 years) I always challenge if I know the cop doesn't speak French. I ask for a trial in French and the anglo cop will generally never show up. So it gets thrown out.

lio45

Acajacques I contested one here in Gatineau and before we went in a young city lawyer sat down with me (she did the same with everyone else) and made the standard "plea bargain" offer of cutting it down by half. Though this was a ticket from a cop and the cop was present.

Though I generally agree that you'd probably have to pay more if you challenged a camera ticket and lost. You are (in their view) cluttering up the court system for no reason, and this costs them money. There has to be some form of cost dissuasion in there. At least from their perspective.

Now, when I get tickets in Ottawa or Ontario (one every 10-15 years) I always challenge if I know the cop doesn't speak French. I ask for a trial in French and the anglo cop will generally never show up. So it gets thrown out.

Exactly, I'm all for challenging any ticket as long as there's any argument, but in BlackDog's case, if I were the judge I'd be like "are you trying to claim the radar was faulty, and that you weren't actually doing 74...? if not then WTF is your point? The law is clear, 74 in a 60 zone is $233. You can call it a blatant cash grab but it's still the law. Next!"

BlackDog

lio45 I have a good feeling it will be reduced.

lio45

BlackDog I have a good feeling it will be reduced.

Could be. You're correct that it's really a steep fine relative to the gravity of the infraction. In Quebec anything below 20 km/h over, they basically don't bother. IIRC, the amounts of the fines go up in a non-linear way, with every extra "slice" of 10 km/h over the limit. First slice, and second slice too, are not really worth it, so tickets in that range are super rare.

In other words, you can "safely" drive up to 70 in the city, and up to 110 on numbered provincial roads, and up to 120 on freeways. (Respective posted limits 50, 90, and 100.)

Hopefully your judge is in a good mood that day! I agree that it's disgusting to tax a honest citizen (I'm assuming 😉) an extra $233 like that...

Acajacques

Let us know how it goes.

brainstorm

lio45

Manitoba has the highest traffic tickets in North America. They do an extra dirty in construction zones.

Take a regular 80km/h zone:

They'll knock it down to 60km/h, obscurely marked, and no one will be working (empty for weeks).
So you're cruising along at 86km/h, perfectly legal (because it's usually 80km/h), then wham:

$730 photo ticket

Double multiplier for a "construction zone" due to the now artificial 26km/h over.

This conversation infuriates me. I'm way closer to it than you guys know (and can know). At least I was. Every time I see this parasitic extortion of citizens it makes me want to re-engage. Too many other battles to fight right now.

Acajacques

lio45 Could be. You're correct that it's really a steep fine relative to the gravity of the infraction. In Quebec anything below 20 km/h over, they basically don't bother. IIRC, the amounts of the fines go up in a non-linear way, with every extra "slice" of 10 km/h over the limit. First slice, and second slice too, are not really worth it, so tickets in that range are super rare.

In other words, you can "safely" drive up to 70 in the city, and up to 110 on numbered provincial roads, and up to 120 on freeways. (Respective posted limits 50, 90, and 100.)

I think it's more like a percentage than it is a full 20 kmh over the limit that is tolerated. Something in the range of 15-20% over. I got a photo radar ticket going 67 in a 50 zone here in Gatineau. Industrial boulevard, around 9 pm, with obviously no pedestrians around. Under 20 kmh over but close to 30% over the limit.

brainstorm

Czech Republic moves to 150km/h in trial. LFG!