MAP: where have (some) speed limits returned to 90km/h in France?
More than half of departments have now made changes although they do not apply on all eligible roads
On departmental roads like this, the speed limit changes depending on the department you are driving in
RnDmS / Shutterstock
The Var in the south of France recently became the latest department to revert to 90km/h speed limits on some of its departmental (secondary) roads.
In 2018, a law change meant all ‘D’ roads, with the exception of dual carriageways, had a fixed speed limit of 80km/h, down from the previous 90km/h.
However, by 2019, the law was altered to give departments the choice to revert back to the original 90km/h speed limit on secondary roads, providing they conducted safety and feasibility studies into doing so.
Currently, around 50 departments have converted at least some roads back to pre-2018 speed limits, totaling almost 55,000 km of roads overall.
Below you can see an interactive map showing which departments have reverted to the original limit and on what percentage of their roads the 90km/h limit applies:
Those coloured grey on the map have not returned any roads to the 90km/h speed limits, and those marked dark red have changed all of theirs.
For the other departments, those in yellow have changed between 1% and 10% of speed limits, those in orange between 11% and 50%, and those in light red between 50% and 99%.
You can hover over a department to see the exact percentages.
The map is accurate up to September 2023, although at least two departments – Gard and Morbihan – are expected to return some roads to the 90km/h limit in the future.
Changes only apply on certain stretches of road
With the exception of seven departments – Puy-de-Dôme, Aveyron, Allier, Corrèze, Creuse, Cantal, and Ardèche – limits have only been partially reduced.
In some departments only a tiny fraction of roads have seen changes – Haut-Rhin for example only has the 90 km/h limit on 1% of its secondary roads, and in the neighbouring Bas-Rhin, only 2%.
To find out exactly which roads have been returned to 90 km/h in a specific department, you can look for the information on the local prefecture’s website, or regional media sources.
Related articles:
How to keep track of changing speed limits on French secondary roads
Has reducing the French speed limit to 80km/h saved lives?
