How can I know if the speed limit is 80 or 90km/h on French roads?
An interactive map shows which departments have restored the higher limit and how many kilometres of roads are affected
Published
Reader Question: I keep reading that more departments are bringing back the 90km/h speed limit, but that others are keeping roads at 80km/h. How can I know whether I should be driving at 80km/h or 90km/h?
The confusion comes from a change introduced in 2018, when France lowered the speed limit from 90km/h to 80km/h on many two-way roads without a central divider.
The rule was introduced as a road safety measure by the government, aiming to reduce road accidents and deaths on rural roads. However, it proved controversial and many motorists and departments argued that speed limits should take into account the differences between roads, and traffic conditions.
Then, in 2019 the rules changed. From then, individual departments could restore the 90km/h limit on eligible roads if they followed certain procedures, including safety assessments.
Since then, 52 departments have partially or fully reversed the 2018 change. Now, a new issue has arisen. Because each department makes its own decisions, the result is a patchwork of different speed limits across France.
For example, Isère in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region has announced that it will restore the 90km/h limit on around 3,000km of roads from 2027.
However, neighbouring departments such as Drôme and Savoie have not made the same change.
A driver crossing a departmental border could therefore move from a road where 90km/h is permitted to another road where the limit remains 80km/h, even if the two roads appear very similar.
How can you check the speed limit
At the moment, there is no official national map showing the speed limit of every individual road in France.
When a department restores the 90km/h limit, authorities must install signs showing the higher limit.
If you see a 90km/h sign, you can drive at that speed. If there is no sign indicating a return to 90km/h, drivers should assume that the 80km/h limit remains in place.
This approach avoids the risk of unintentionally exceeding the limit, particularly as some roads are monitored by radar vehicles.
Drivers travelling at 80km/h on a road where 90km/h is allowed will not be penalised for driving too slowly.
The Connexion has created an interactive map that allows you to check which departments overturned the 2018 law.
It shows the percentage of roads in the departments that have introduced a 90km/h limit.
