An advisory speed limit is a speed limit that is recommended by a governing body, but is not enforced. Advisory speed limits are often set in areas with many pedestrians, such as in city centres and outside schools, and on difficult stretches of roads, such as on tight corners or through roadworks. While travelling above the advisory speed limit is not an offence, liability for any accidents that occur as a result of traveling above the limit can be placed partially or entirely on the person exceeding the advisory speed limit.
Signposting of advisory speed limits varies from country to country; Australia makes extensive use of advisory speed limits across its highway networks while the Richtgeschwindigkeit ("reference speed") in Germany is valid for the whole Autobahn network (but can be overruled by minimum speeds and speed limits), while the United States and the United Kingdom only give advisory speed limits for hazards such as bends. Some have criticised advisory speed limits for being a weak method of traffic control, as drivers face little or no penalty for breaking the advisory speed limit.
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