Maximum speed
Speed
- Sign code
- A1
- Category
- Speed
- Traffic signs
- Maximum speed 50 km/h.
Sign A1 gives the speed limit. The number on the sign is the highest speed you may drive there, whatever else is happening on the road. It applies until sign A2, end of speed limit, or until a new A1 sign with a different number.
What to do at sign A1
Do not drive faster than the number on the sign. It is an upper bound, not a target: in rain, fog or heavy traffic you should drive slower than posted.
The sign replaces the default limit for that road. If it reads 30 inside a built-up area, 30 applies and not the usual 50.
A1 as a zone sign
If the word "zone" appears, the limit covers a whole area rather than one street. A zone 30 runs until you meet the sign with a red line through it, even if you turn several times inside that area.
Without "zone" the limit applies only to the road you are on, up to the next sign.
Speeds where there is no sign
Where no sign is posted, the default limit for the road type applies. Inside built-up areas that is 50, outside them 80, on expressways 100 and on motorways 100 during the day.
You need those defaults by heart, because the exam regularly shows a situation with no sign at all.
A1 on the CBR theory exam
Many questions combine A1 with a supplementary panel or with a matrix sign above the road. If the matrix sign shows a lower speed, that is the speed you keep to.
Difference from A4, advisory speed
A1 is round with a red border and binding. A4 is square and blue and is advice. At A4 you may drive faster than the number, at A1 you may not.
A4, advisory speedFrequently asked questions
- How far does sign A1 apply?
- Until sign A2, end of speed limit, until a further A1 sign with a different number, or until you enter or leave a built-up area.
- What is the difference between A1 and a zone 30 sign?
- A zone sign covers a whole area and keeps applying when you turn. A plain A1 sign applies only to the road you are on.
- What speed applies when there is no sign?
- The default for the road type: 50 inside built-up areas, 80 outside them, 100 on expressways and 100 on motorways during the day.
Practise this sign for your theory exam
Maximum speed belongs to the Speed category. In the CBR theory exam a traffic sign is almost never asked on its own: you are shown a situation and have to know what you may or must do in it. In the free sign trainer you practise the signs by category, with the explanation shown right after every answer.
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