What is the speed limit on highway acceleration lanes?
1 Answers
Highways stipulate a minimum speed of 60 km/h. All vehicles must accelerate to at least 60 km/h on this lane before merging into the main highway lanes. Similarly, when exiting the highway, vehicles must decelerate to below 60 km/h on this lane. Highways, also known as expressways, are roads specifically designed for high-speed vehicular traffic. Regulations vary across different countries, regions, eras, and research fields. According to China's "Technical Standard of Highway Engineering" (JTGB01-2014), an expressway is a multi-lane highway dedicated to vehicles traveling in different directions on separate lanes, with all access points being controlled. The average annual daily traffic volume for expressway design should exceed 15,000 passenger cars, with design speeds ranging from 80 to 120 km/h. The development of expressways influences the spatial evolution of urban agglomerations, attracting numerous industries to establish factories and bases along these routes. As high-grade roads, expressways are designed to accommodate an average annual daily traffic volume of over 25,000 passenger cars, featuring complete access control and dedicated lanes for high-speed travel. Classification: Highways are categorized into five levels: expressways, first-class, second-class, third-class, and fourth-class highways. Expressways can further be divided into urban expressways and intercity expressways. During normal operation on expressways, the minimum speed must not be lower than 60 km/h. The maximum speed limits are: 120 km/h for micro passenger cars, 100 km/h for other motor vehicles, and 50 km/h for motorcycles. On two-lane carriageways in the same direction, the left lane's minimum speed must not be below 100 km/h; for three-lane carriageways, the leftmost lane's minimum speed is 110 km/h, while the middle lane's minimum speed is 90 km/h. Expressway lane speed divisions: First lane: 100-120 km/h (overtaking lane); Second lane: 90-110 km/h (main lane); Third lane: 60-100 km/h (truck lane); Fourth lane: emergency lane. These speed limits generally apply to three-lane expressways. Special circumstances on expressways, such as ramps and interchanges, have different speed regulations. Ramp speed limits depend on their length, angle, and traffic volume, typically capped at 40 km/h for interchange ramps. Regarding curves on expressways, generally no speed reduction is required due to China's curve design standards. The minimum curve radius standards are: 650 meters for expressways in plains or hilly areas, and 250 meters for mountainous regions. When driving at high speeds, always observe traffic signs and never exceed posted speed limits. During adverse conditions like snow, rain, fog, slippery/icy roads, or poor visibility, promptly reduce speed to safe levels while maintaining adequate following distance. Avoid reckless speeding, unnecessary acceleration, frequent lane changes, or dangerous overtaking maneuvers.
