Are there speed limits on urban roads?
4 Answers
Urban roads have speed limits, and the specific limits depend on road conditions. Drive according to the posted signs and markings. Introduction to speed limits: Speed limits typically refer to the regulation of vehicle speeds within a specified range over a certain distance. The primary purpose is to preemptively alert drivers to control their speed appropriately in subsequent sections of the road ahead and prevent the dangers of speeding. Speed limit regulations: For roads without a centerline, the speed limit is 30 kilometers per hour on urban roads and 40 kilometers per hour on highways. For roads with only one lane in the same direction, the speed limit is 50 kilometers per hour on urban roads and 70 kilometers per hour on highways.
Of course there are speed limits on urban roads! I always pay special attention to this. Generally, the speed limit on regular city roads is 40-60 km/h, depending on whether there are signs. For roads near residential areas, it's safest to keep it around 30 km/h, and near school zones during pick-up and drop-off times, the speed drops directly to 20 km/h. On main roads with dividers, you can go up to 50 km/h, but during rush hours, it's hard to even reach that speed. Remember to ease off the accelerator when approaching intersections, whether there are traffic lights or not. Once, I almost hit an electric bike that suddenly darted out from an alley because I was driving too fast. The speedometer might show 60 km/h, but the actual speed could be just over 50 km/h—never push the limit, as speed cameras won't go easy on you.
As a seasoned business traveler, I've studied the speed limit regulations in most cities across the country. Typically, main roads with four or more lanes in both directions have speed limits of 60-70 km/h, but auxiliary roads like those in Beijing can be as low as 40 km/h. Special reminder for ring road sections: the inner ring might be marked 70 km/h while the outer ring could be 50 km/h. In my first year of driving, I learned this the hard way when I got two speeding tickets on different sections of the same elevated road. Now when I see diamond-shaped road markings, I slow down in advance - cameras within 30 meters of intersections capture speeding most accurately. By the way, no matter what the speed limit is in tunnels, never change lanes as surveillance is particularly strict there.
When I was taking my driving test, the instructor repeatedly emphasized that the key to urban road speed limits is to pay attention to both the markings on the ground and the signs overhead. Single yellow line roads default to 50 km/h, while double yellow lines allow up to 60 km/h. Last week, I witnessed a case firsthand: a friend was driving at 70 km/h in the tidal lane of the High-Tech Zone, but got caught by a speed camera when the speed limit switched to 40 km/h during the time period change. Extra caution is needed on rainy or foggy days. Last winter solstice, I was recorded speeding at 52 km/h on Riverside Road, where the usual limit is 60 km/h, but the rainy day automatically triggered a 40 km/h speed limit contingency. Navigation reminders about speed limits can only serve as a reference; the actual road signs take precedence.
