Speed signs and zones
| What the sign does | Where it applies | Where it goes wrong | |
|---|---|---|---|
| A1 — speed limit | A traffic sign carrying an ORDER or a BAN: art. 62 obliges road users to obey such signs. The figure is a limit, not a suggestion. | Until the next junction or until a sign marking the end — unless it says “zone” above it, in which case art. 66 applies. | Thinking the sign also sets a MINIMUM. It says nothing about driving slower; how slowly you may go is set by art. 19 and by the other traffic. |
| A4 — advisory speed | Neither an order nor a ban, so art. 62 does not catch it. It warns: ahead is something for which the permitted speed is too high. | As long as the situation it warns about lasts; A5 marks the end. | Turning it into “optional, then”. There is no fine on the figure, but there is on what happens if you ignore it: art. 19 requires you to stop within what you can see. |
| The word “zone” above the sign | “Zone” does not change WHAT the sign says but WHERE it applies: across a whole area instead of one road. | With an area indication: in that indicated area. Without one: until the sign marking the end of the zone — straight through junctions. | Applying the ordinary rule that a sign lapses at the next junction. In a zone it does NOT; that is where people most often speed by accident. |
| The supplementary plate | Three possibilities: further explanation; symbols only — then the sign applies ONLY to those road users; or “uitgezonderd” plus symbols — then it does NOT apply to them. | As far as the sign it hangs under. | Reading symbols without “uitgezonderd” as an exemption. Without that word the symbols do the opposite: they LIMIT the sign to that group. |
| Two speeds at once | If a sign shows a HIGHER speed than your vehicle's own limit — moped, with a trailer — the LOWER applies. Sign against gantry: again the lower. | Everywhere both apply; for these special limits and the gantry art. 63 (“sign beats rule”) does not carry through — the road's general limit a sign can raise. | Applying the lowest-wins rule to ALL speeds. It holds only for your vehicle's own limit and the gantry; the road's general limit simply follows the sign — upwards too. |
| Sign for one lane only | The application of a sign MAY be limited to one or more lanes. The figure then does not apply to the whole carriageway. | Only on the lane or lanes for which the sign is designated. | Ignoring the figure above your own lane because a different one hangs beside it. Each lane then has its own limit, and yours is the one above you. |
The law itself
RVV1990 art. 62RVV1990 art. 63b lid 1RVV1990 art. 63b lid 2RVV1990 art. 66 lid 1RVV1990 art. 66 lid 2RVV1990 art. 67 lid 1RVV1990 art. 19RVV1990 art. 65 lid 1
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