Speed Limits in Canada

Canadian speed limits have been posted in kilometres per hour (km/h) since 1977. Before then, when Canada used the Imperial system, speed limits were in miles per hour (mph). A sign reads "MAXIMUM XX", such as "MAXIMUM 80" for 80 km/h. A minimum speed sign reads "XX MINIMUM", such as "60 MINIMUM" for 60 km/h. Typical speed limits are:

• 15–20 km/h (9.3–12 mph) at shopping centre entrances and parking areas
• 30–50 km/h (19–31 mph) within school and playground zones
• 40–50 km/h (25–31 mph) on residential streets within cities and towns
• 50–80 km/h (31–50 mph) on major arterial roads in urban and suburban areas
• 70–90 km/h (43–56 mph) on major arterial roads, arterial highways and at-grade expressways
• 80–110 km/h (50–68 mph) on grade-separated expressways/freeways

Note that where more than one limit is given per road, it usually indicates a difference between provinces; however, within provinces, different roads of the same classification have different speed limits. For example, in Alberta and Nova Scotia, some freeways have a limit of 100 km/h (62 mph), while others have a speed limit of 110 km/h (68 mph). The general speed limit on rural highways in Prince Edward Island is 80 km/h (50 mph), except on the Trans Canada Highway, where the maximum can range up to 90 km/h (56 mph). In Ontario, all freeways have a maximum speed limit of 100 km/h except for a few rare cases where it's 80 km/h-90 km/h, although they generally operate at much higher speeds with very little enforcement. Speed limits are generally lower in Ontario and Quebec on comparable roads than in other Canadian provinces. Examples of this disparity include rural two-lane highways in Ontario, which have a standard speed limit of 80 km/h, while comparable roads in other provinces have standard speed limits of 90–100 km/h. In rural western Ontario, however, some two-lane roads have speed limits of 90 km/h.

In British Columbia, a review of speed limits conducted in 2002 and 2003 for the Ministry of Transportation found that posted limits on investigated roads were unrealistically low for 1309 km and unrealistically high for 208 km. The reports recommended to increase speed limits for multi-lane limited-access highways constructed to high design standards from 110 km/h to 120 km/h. As described in that report, the Ministry is currently using "...Technical Circular T-10/00 to assess speed limits. The practice considers the 85th percentile speed, road geometry, roadside development, and crash history."

In most Canadian provinces, as in most other locales, speed violation fines are double (or more) in construction zones, although in Ontario and Alberta, this only applies if workers are present in the construction zone.

In Ontario, speeding fines double in areas identified as "Community Safety Zones" as well as "school zones". In Ontario, as of September 2007, drivers caught speeding 50 km/h over the posted speed limit will have the vehicle that they are driving impounded immediately for 7 days and their license suspended for 7 days and have to appear before the court. For a first conviction, they face an additional $2,000-$10,000 fine and 6 demerit points; they may also face up to 6 months in jail and licence suspension of up to two years. For a second conviction within 10 years of the first conviction, their license may be suspended for up to 10 years. Speed limits in Ontario were lowered from 113 km/h to 100 km/h during the 1970s energy crisis. In spite of safety and fuel economy advances, four decades later the speed limits have never been raised back to the 1960s levels or beyond. The Ministry of Transportation of Ontario data shows that excessive speed is a factor in only 6.7% of fatal traffic accidents in Ontario. Highway speed limits in Ontario are so unrealistically low, people completely disregard the posted limits. There is a growing movement to increase speed limits from 100 km/h to 130 km/h or 140 km/h in order to catch up with the rest of the developed world. The Ontario provincial government (like several others) has fought to keep speed limits unrealistically low and radar detectors illegal because ticketing infractions generates revenue for the government.

Radar detectors in Canada are legal only in British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan. They are illegal to use in Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut. Regardless of whether they are used or not, police and law enforcement officers there may confiscate radar detectors, operational or not, and impose substantial fines in provinces where radar detectors are illegal. Quebec penalizes $500 CAD for use of a radar detector, along with confiscation of the device.

• Speed limit sign in British Columbia and Yukon

• New speed limit ahead sign in British Columbia and Yukon

• Speed limit sign in Ontario

• New speed limit ahead sign in Ontario

• New speed limit begins sign in Ontario

• Imperial speed limit sign for 50 km/h. All speed limit signs since metrication are supposed to include "km/h" at the bottom. In British Columbia, all signs do so. In Ontario, most signs do, but many do not. In other provinces, the guideline is not followed.

• Advisory speed limit sign

• Advisory speed limit ahead sign (used where the advisory speed for a curve ahead is extremely dangerous and needs advance warning)