Key:maxspeed:type

maxspeed:type
Description
One of two ways to specify the type of speed limit
Group: annotations
Used on these elements
Documented values: 22
Useful combination
highway=* maxspeed=*
Status: in use
Error loading from Taginfo API. More details at taginfo
Tools for this tag
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maxspeed:type=* describes how a speed limit has been set into force. It should be accompanied by a maxspeed=* tag (don't forget to add all other vehicle maxspeed sub-tags that differ if you do add it, or you'd actually be adding incorrect data to the map!), although omitting maxspeed=* and relying on data-consumer-side parsing of actual speed limits is preferred by some (in cases where exact value of km/h or mph is not explicitly signed).

maxspeed:type=* is used in certain regions of the world, such as the United Kingdom. In most other regions, the simpler and more consistent tag source:maxspeed=* is used to capture the speed limit type. In regions where maxspeed:type=* is used to cover the speed limit type, source:maxspeed=* is used to capture the source of the mapped speed limit (such as a physical survey).

Description

This tag can be used to information about the type of speed limit specified in maxspeed=*. More specific, the tag informs about the method how given speed limit had been set into force. This can be, as example

• maxspeed:type=sign - by a speed limit sign for specific road at traffic sign location
• maxspeed:type=construction - by a time-limited regulation shown by speed limit signs
• maxspeed:type=FR:urban - default for roads within marked city limits in France
• maxspeed:type=AT:rural - default for roads outside marked city limits in Austria
• maxspeed:type=GB:nsl_single - national speed limit on non-motorway single carriageways in the UK
• maxspeed:type=NL:motorway - default for roads with controlled access in the Netherlands
• maxspeed:type=PL:rural/maxspeed:type=PL:urban - default speed limits in Poland

In cases where traffic signs had been mapped separate from ways as individual nodes or are missing at all, this tag maxspeed:type=sign informs that current speed limit on a way had been set into force by a traffic sign.

The tag maxspeed:type=* is useful in cases where actual speed limit had been tagged as a hard value like maxspeed=120 which is or was valid by law at time of editing. But law might be changed at some time and maximum allowed speed given by law as well. As long as value of a maxspeed tag had not been changed or should not be changed from a numeric value to preferred context related value like maxspeed=NL:motorway, tag maxspeed:type=* may help to identify such cases by automated procedures.

While usage of maxspeed:type=* is growing, in history tag source:maxspeed=* had been used for similar purpose by same semantics. See Speed limits for more information.

Visualisation

The tag maxspeed:type=sign may indicate that applicable speed limit may be shown as traffic sign.

The tag maxspeed:type=* with value <country_code>:<context> may indicate that applicable speed limit may be shown as related symbol or icon, especially for rural or urban areas.

How to use

If a set of attributes of a way containing the tag maxspeed=* should be extended by tag maxspeed:type=*:

• In cases of an applicable traffic sign using a numeric value for a speed limit: Add tag maxspeed:type=sign
• In cases of an applicable law limits maximum allowed speed limit: Add a tag maxspeed:type=* with value <country_code>:<context>

Values

Australia

Values for Australia, see Australian Tagging Guidelines/Roads. Other possible values have been listed here, but are hardly or never in use.

Type	Tags	Taginfo
	maxspeed=* maxspeed:type=sign	maxspeed:type=sign $1% More details at taginfo
	maxspeed=* maxspeed:type=AU:zone* or zone:maxspeed=AU:*	Error loading from Taginfo API. More details at taginfo Error loading from Taginfo API. More details at taginfo Error loading from Taginfo API. More details at taginfo Error loading from Taginfo API. More details at taginfo Error loading from Taginfo API. More details at taginfo Error loading from Taginfo API. More details at taginfo
unposted within built-up area in most states and territories	maxspeed=50 maxspeed:type=AU:urban	Error loading from Taginfo API. More details at taginfo
unposted within built-up area in the Northern Territory	maxspeed=60 maxspeed:type=AU-NT:urban	Error loading from Taginfo API. More details at taginfo
(usually on older roads in New South Wales) unposted in most states and territories	maxspeed=100 (most state and territories) maxspeed:type=AU:rural	Error loading from Taginfo API. More details at taginfo
(previously used on segments of Stuart Highway in the Northern Territory) unposted in the Northern Territory or Western Australia	maxspeed=110 maxspeed:type=AU-NT:rural or maxspeed:type=AU-WA:rural	Error loading from Taginfo API. More details at taginfo Error loading from Taginfo API. More details at taginfo

Canada

maxspeed:type=* is increasingly used in Canada, usually in large cities where the implicit speed limit defined in provincial/territorial traffic laws or municipal bylaw has been mapped. Alternatively, source:maxspeed=* is used to document the type of speed limit in Canada. Documented in this section are values applicable for both keys.

Nationwide

Type	Tags	Taginfo	Notes
	maxspeed=* maxspeed:type=sign or source:maxspeed=sign	maxspeed:type=sign $1% More details at taginfo source:maxspeed=sign $1% More details at taginfo
on a (long-term) construction zone	maxspeed=* maxspeed:type=construction	maxspeed:type=construction $1% More details at taginfo
Implicit within city, town or village limits	maxspeed=50 maxspeed:type=CA:urban	Error loading from Taginfo API. More details at taginfo	While common, this key is controversial for failing to account that implicit speed limit determination in Canada is under provincial or territorial jurisdiction. While most provincial and territorial traffic laws set an implicit urban speed limit of 50 km/h, Saskatchewan and the Yukon does not have separate implicit urban and rural limits, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island have different implied speed limits within urban areas depending on predominant land use (also observed in some U.S. states), and Alberta has separate speed limits for provincial highways and local roads in both urban and rural areas. Due to this, it is preferable to use province-specific values containing two-letter postal abbreviation after CA as documented below (e.g. CA-ON:urban for a implicit urban 50 km/h speed limit in Ontario, CA-AB:urban for a implicit 50 km/h speed limit on urban local roads or 80 km/h speed limit on urban highways in Alberta). Almost all instances of this tag are added via StreetComplete.

Alberta

Alberta's Traffic Safety Act provides for two different implied speed limits for local roads and provincial highways.

Type	Tags	Taginfo	Notes
Unposted within city/town/village limits	maxspeed=50 maxspeed:type=CA-AB:urban	Error loading from Taginfo API. More details at taginfo
Unposted on a provincial highway within city limits	highway=* ref=* maxspeed=80 maxspeed:type=CA-AB:urban		Hardly used as most provincial highways usually have signposted limit when they enter city limits
Unposted outside city, town or village limits, or within an Indian reserve or Métis settlement boundary	maxspeed=80 maxspeed:type=CA-AB:rural	Error loading from Taginfo API. More details at taginfo
Unposted on provincial highway outside city, town or village limits	highway=* ref=* maxspeed=100 maxspeed:type=CA-AB:rural		Hardly used as most provincial highways usually have explicitly posted limits.
Community speed limits (such as citywide 40 km/h limits, e.g. in Edmonton, Calgary and St. Albert) and neighbourhood speed limits	highway=* ref=* maxspeed=* maxspeed:type=CA-AB:zone* source:maxspeed=name of municipal bylaw implementing community speed limit or source:maxspeed=sign (optional)		See this document by Alberta Transportation for signage example Signage in Edmonton uses this text on signs at major entry points indicating the implied 40 km/h speed limit within city limits: "Speed limit 40 km/h unless otherwise posted".

British Columbia

Type	Tags	Taginfo	Notes
Unposted within city, town or village limits	maxspeed=50 maxspeed:type=CA-BC:urban	Error loading from Taginfo API. More details at taginfo
Unposted outside city, town or village limits	maxspeed=80 maxspeed:type=CA-BC:rural	Error loading from Taginfo API. More details at taginfo

Manitoba

Type	Tags	Taginfo	Notes
Unposted within city, town or village limits	maxspeed=50 maxspeed:type=CA-MB:urban	Error loading from Taginfo API. More details at taginfo
Unposted outside city, town or village limits	maxspeed=90 maxspeed:type=CA-MB:rural	Error loading from Taginfo API. More details at taginfo

Ontario

Type	Tags	Taginfo	Notes
Unposted within city/town/village limits	maxspeed=50 maxspeed:type=CA-ON:urban	Error loading from Taginfo API. More details at taginfo
Unposted outside city, town or village limits	maxspeed=80 maxspeed:type=CA-ON:rural	Error loading from Taginfo API. More details at taginfo

Quebec

Type	Tags	Taginfo	Notes
Bicycle street (vélorue)	maxspeed=30 maxspeed:type=CA-QC:bicycle_road	Error loading from Taginfo API. More details at taginfo
	maxspeed=40 maxspeed:type=CA-QC:zone* or zone:maxspeed=CA-QC:*	Error loading from Taginfo API. More details at taginfo Error loading from Taginfo API. More details at taginfo
Unposted within city/town/village limits	maxspeed=50 maxspeed:type=CA-QC:urban	Error loading from Taginfo API. More details at taginfo
Unposted on unpaved road outside city, town or village limits	maxspeed=70 surface=unpaved or surface=gravel maxspeed:type=CA-QC:rural	Error loading from Taginfo API. More details at taginfo
Unposted outside city, town or village limits	maxspeed=90 maxspeed:type=CA-QC:rural
	highway=motorway or highway=trunk ref=numbers between 1-99 or 400-999 maxspeed=100 maxspeed:type=CA-QC:motorway	Error loading from Taginfo API. More details at taginfo	Mostly signed, so value is never used

Finland

Values for Finland.

Type	Tags	Taginfo	Note
	maxspeed=* maxspeed:type=sign	maxspeed:type=sign $1% More details at taginfo
	maxspeed=* maxspeed:type=FI:zone* or zone:maxspeed=FI:*	Error loading from Taginfo API. More details at taginfo Error loading from Taginfo API. More details at taginfo
	maxspeed=20 maxspeed:type=FI:living_street	Error loading from Taginfo API. More details at taginfo
	maxspeed=50 maxspeed:type=FI:urban	Error loading from Taginfo API. More details at taginfo
	maxspeed=100 maxspeed:type=FI:rural	Error loading from Taginfo API. More details at taginfo	Formerly at 80 km/h

France

Values for France.

Type	Tags	Taginfo
	maxspeed=* maxspeed:type=sign	maxspeed:type=sign $1% More details at taginfo
	maxspeed=* maxspeed:type=FR:zone* or zone:maxspeed=FR:*	Error loading from Taginfo API. More details at taginfo Error loading from Taginfo API. More details at taginfo
	maxspeed=20 maxspeed:type=FR:living_street	Error loading from Taginfo API. More details at taginfo
	maxspeed=50 maxspeed:type=FR:urban	Error loading from Taginfo API. More details at taginfo
	maxspeed=80 maxspeed:type=FR:rural	Error loading from Taginfo API. More details at taginfo
	maxspeed=110 maxspeed:conditional=100 @ wet maxspeed:type=FR:expressway	Error loading from Taginfo API. More details at taginfo
	maxspeed=130 maxspeed:conditional=110 @ wet maxspeed:type=FR:motorway	Error loading from Taginfo API. More details at taginfo

Germany

Main article: DE:Key:maxspeed:type

Values for Germany:

Type	Tags	Taginfo
	maxspeed=* maxspeed:type=sign	maxspeed:type=sign $1% More details at taginfo
	maxspeed=* maxspeed:type=DE:zone* or zone:maxspeed=DE:*	maxspeed:type=DE:zone20 $1% More details at taginfo maxspeed:type=DE:zone30 $1% More details at taginfo zone:maxspeed=* More details at taginfo
	maxspeed=walk maxspeed:type=DE:living_street	maxspeed:type=DE:living_street $1% More details at taginfo
	maxspeed=30 maxspeed:type=DE:bicycle_road	maxspeed:type=DE:bicycle_road $1% More details at taginfo
	maxspeed=50 maxspeed:type=DE:urban	maxspeed:type=DE:urban $1% More details at taginfo
	maxspeed=100 maxspeed:type=DE:rural	maxspeed:type=DE:rural $1% More details at taginfo
	maxspeed=none maxspeed:type=DE:motorway	maxspeed:type=DE:motorway $1% More details at taginfo

Japan

Values for Japan. Other possible values have been listed here, but are hardly or never in use. The source:maxspeed=* tag is much more commonly used to tag the type of speed limit in Japan.

Type	Tags	Taginfo
	maxspeed=* maxspeed:type=sign or source:maxspeed=sign	maxspeed:type=sign $1% More details at taginfo source:maxspeed=sign $1% More details at taginfo
	maxspeed=* maxspeed:type=JP:zone* or source:maxspeed=JP:zone* or zone:maxspeed=JP:*	Error loading from Taginfo API. More details at taginfo Error loading from Taginfo API. More details at taginfo Error loading from Taginfo API. More details at taginfo
unposted	maxspeed=60 maxspeed:type=JP:national or source:maxspeed=JP:national	Error loading from Taginfo API. More details at taginfo Error loading from Taginfo API. More details at taginfo
	maxspeed=100 maxspeed:type=JP:motorway or source:maxspeed=JP:motorway	Error loading from Taginfo API. More details at taginfo Error loading from Taginfo API. More details at taginfo

Malaysia

Values for Malaysia. Other possible values have been listed here, but are hardly or never in use.

Type	Tags	Taginfo
	maxspeed=* maxspeed:type=sign	maxspeed:type=sign $1% More details at taginfo
Unposted 60 km/h national speed limit within city or town limits, usually marked by warning signage at entrance:	maxspeed=60 maxspeed:type=MY:urban	Error loading from Taginfo API. More details at taginfo
unposted 90 km/h national speed limit outside city or town limits, usually with reminder signs in Malay saying Peringatan: 90 km/j (Warning: 90 km/h) on major roads leaving city or town limits	maxspeed=90 maxspeed:type=MY:rural	Error loading from Taginfo API. More details at taginfo
Expressway, marked by	maxspeed=100 maxspeed:type=MY:motorway	Error loading from Taginfo API. More details at taginfo

Netherlands

Values for the European part of the Netherlands:

Type	Tags	Taginfo
	maxspeed=* maxspeed:type=sign	maxspeed:type=sign $1% More details at taginfo
	maxspeed=* maxspeed:type=NL:zone* or zone:maxspeed=NL:*	maxspeed:type=NL:zone30 $1% More details at taginfo maxspeed:type=NL:zone60 $1% More details at taginfo zone:maxspeed=* More details at taginfo
	maxspeed=15 maxspeed:type=NL:living_street	maxspeed:type=NL:living_street $1% More details at taginfo
	maxspeed=50 maxspeed:type=NL:urban	maxspeed:type=NL:urban $1% More details at taginfo
	maxspeed=80 maxspeed:type=NL:rural	maxspeed:type=NL:rural $1% More details at taginfo
	maxspeed=100 maxspeed:type=NL:motorroad	maxspeed:type=NL:motorroad $1% More details at taginfo
	maxspeed=130 maxspeed:type=NL:motorway	maxspeed:type=NL:motorway $1% More details at taginfo

Poland

Values for Poland (note that some values listed here are barely used):

Type	Tags	Taginfo
	maxspeed=* maxspeed:type=sign	maxspeed:type=sign $1% $1% $1% $1% More details at taginfo More details at taginfo
	maxspeed=* maxspeed:type=PL:zone* or zone:maxspeed=PL:*
	maxspeed=20 maxspeed:type=PL:living_street
	maxspeed=50 maxspeed:type=PL:urban
	maxspeed=90 maxspeed:type=PL:rural
	maxspeed=120 or maxspeed=100 maxspeed:type=PL:expressway
	maxspeed=140 maxspeed:type=PL:motorway

United Kingdom

Value	When to use	Accompanying tags	Taginfo
maxspeed:type=sign	Where there are signs stating a speed limit (a number in a red circle).	Tag either: maxspeed=20 mph in England, Northern Ireland and Scotland; maxspeed=20 mph and lit=no in Wales; maxspeed=30 mph and lit=no in England, Northern Ireland and Scotland; maxspeed=30 mph in Wales; maxspeed=40 mph; maxspeed=50 mph; or maxspeed=60 mph.
maxspeed:type=GB:nsl_restricted	Where there is an implicit 30 mph speed limit, due to the road having street lights. Used in England, Northern Ireland, and Scotland.	Tag maxspeed=30 mph and lit=yes or lit=24/7
maxspeed:type=GB-WLS:nsl_restricted	Where there is an implicit 20 mph speed limit, due to the road having street lights. Used in Wales.	Tag maxspeed=20 mph and lit=yes or lit=24/7
maxspeed:type=GB:nsl_single	Where the road is a single carriageway and subject to the national speed limit (a white sign with a diagonal black line).	Tag maxspeed=60 mph
maxspeed:type=GB:nsl_dual	Where the road is a dual carriageway and subject to the national speed limit (a white sign with a diagonal black line).	Tag maxspeed=70 mph
maxspeed:type=GB:motorway	Where the road is a motorway and subject to the national speed limit (a white sign with a diagonal black line).	Tag maxspeed=70 mph and highway=motorway or highway=motorway_link
maxspeed:type=GB:zone20	Where there are explicit signs consisting of a red circle with "20" inside and the word "ZONE" underneath. Used in England, Northern Ireland and Scotland. Should not be used in Wales.	Tag maxspeed=20 mph
maxspeed:type=GB:zone40	Where there are explicit signs consisting of a red circle with "40" inside and the word "ZONE" underneath (40mph zone signs used on Dartmoor are of a slightly different design).	Tag maxspeed=40 mph
maxspeed:type=construction	Where there is a temporary speed limit associated with long-term road works.	Tag either: maxspeed=10 mph; maxspeed=20 mph; maxspeed=30 mph; maxspeed=40 mph; maxspeed=50 mph; or maxspeed=60 mph.

Implied maxspeed values

	GB:zone20	GB:zone40	sign maxspeed=20 mph	sign maxspeed=30 mph	sign maxspeed=40 mph	sign maxspeed=50 mph	sign maxspeed=60 mph	GB:nsl_restricted	GB-WLS:nsl_restricted	GB:nsl_single	GB:nsl_dual	GB:motorway
Cars, motorcycles, and car-based van up to 2 tonnes MLW	20 mph	40 mph	20 mph	30 mph	40 mph	50 mph	60 mph	30 mph	20 mph	60 mph	70 mph	70 mph
Buses, coaches, minibuses up to 12m and goods vehicles up to 7.5 tonnes MLW	20 mph	40 mph	20 mph	30 mph	40 mph	50 mph	50 mph	30 mph	20 mph	50 mph	60 mph	70 mph
Towing caravans, trailers, or articulated. Includes cars, motorcycles, and goods vehicles up to 7.5 tonnes MLW	20 mph	40 mph	20 mph	30 mph	40 mph	50 mph	50 mph	30 mph	20 mph	50 mph	60 mph	60 mph
Goods vehicles over 7.5 tonnes MLW	20 mph	40 mph	20 mph	30 mph	40 mph	40 mph	40 mph	30 mph	20 mph	40 mph	50 mph	60 mph

Source: User:Jamicu/UK_Speed_Limits

See also

Main: Speed limits and discussion at Talk:Speed limits

• source:maxspeed=* - Records the source for a speed limit, either a sign, a context (default limit) or a speedlimit zone
• zone:maxspeed=* - Used to mark streets which are part of a maxspeed zone
• zone:traffic=* - Describes if a public road is in a specific trafficzone