The Ministry of Interior has revised the speed limit on various roads and they’ve already started replacing some of the streets signs to reflect the new limits. Here are the current speed limits, keep in mind not all of them have been changed:
Speed limit on expressways and outer roads that link expressways and main roads with the country’s borders are as follows:
– Maximum speed for cars: 120 km/h
– Minimum speed for cars: 80 km/h
Speed limit on expressways between 6th Ring Road and 2nd Ring Road:
– Maximum speed for cars: 100 km/h
– Minimum speed for cars: 50 km/h
Speed limit on expressways between 2nd Ring Road and 1st Ring Road:
– Maximum speed for cars: 80 km/h
– Minimum speed for cars: 40 km/h
Speed limit on 5th Ring Road starting from King Abdulaziz Al-Saud road in the east to Andalus crossroad with Ardiya in the west:
– Maximum speed for cars: 100 km/h
– Minimum speed for cars: 50 km/h
Speed limit on 1st Ring Road:
– Maximum speed for cars: 100 km/h
– Minimum speed for cars: 50 km/h
Speed limit for 2nd, 3rd and 4th Ring Roads:
– Maximum speed for cars: 80 km/h
– Minimum speed for cars: 45 km/h
Speed limit on main roads in inside areas:
– Maximum speed for cars: 60 km/h
Speed limit inside residential areas:
– Maximum speed for cars: 45 km/h
For more information on this click [Here]
Update: This is no longer happening. Check [Here]
35 replies on “New speed limits in Kuwait”
This is not going to progress well in the long run, it will only lead to more traffic congestion and I certainly wouldn’t believe anyone is going to abide by these new speed limits. The real solutions would be a better public transport system. Just please get us new busses with better bus stop areas and better routes and I will be the first to cut my license to pieces. Im sick of how this country is handling the basics of infrastructures and just legislating new rules and implementing it without even considering any consequences. Its just trail and error with these people.
so true!
trial and error brings tacit knowledge and it will guarantee the right implementations in quick successions in the future rather than arguments
When do you pay your violation? When you go renew your car registration?
Is anyone out there skilled enough (and conversant enough with the roads detailed) to overlay these new speed limits on a map of Kuwait’s roads? maybe using different colours to show the different speeds?
if so, I for one would be most grateful.
Thanks.
Surprised they didn’t lower the 1st ring road speed limit. Always baffled me how a narrow road with so many exits and entries has a 100 speed limit.
it baffles me how people (those who cant drive on 1st ring road with 100kmh speed limit), are given licenses
+1 to bob.
-99999999 to meh (you shouldn’t even be allowed to ride a bicycle)
wow you guys are twats.
rob, you can ride a camel.
Adam so can you – and I don’t mean for transport!
You are a filthy ‘person’ rob and I hope that Adam will report you to the police. Your ip is recorded.
Dang!!!
just came to know The Ministry of Interior has postponed the implementation of a decision to reduce the speed on roads ..
really? cus ive seen the new signs already!
Lowering the speed limits is a good idea, althought I’m surprised they didn’t lower the speed limit in areas of the 6th ring by jleeb to 80 because 100 is way to fast. I personally would be willing to trade a slower road (that is moving) instead of a road with high speed limit and a fatality or severe accident 5 times per day.
Why not 50km/h, since its such a good idea. Where do you people get the idea that speed is the cause of accidents? You think Germany’s autobahns with no speed limits are death traps? Most of the rest of Europe and the US have limits between 130km and 150km. Do you think they all are death traps? Only Kuwait knows best right?
uuuuuh really? where do ppl get the idea that speed is the cause of accidents? The speed determines how bad the accident actually is. are you stupid?
I wish I could explain some simple rules of physics to you but I’m guessing it would be a waste of time. However these simple rules of physics when combined with idiots who think that driving at breakneck speeds while looking down at your instagram is not just selfish and narcissistic – it’s dangerous to others.
No, I’m not stupid. You need to work on your reading comprehension skills. Speed is not the cause of accidents, that’s a fact. Obviously getting into an accident because you’re checking your Instagram will be worse if you are speeding. However, its not the speed that caused the accident, its your distraction with Instagram. If that’s the case then the speed limit should be set at 20km/h so that people can check Instagram safely.
Lol.. i agree with Adam.
Speed limit is not the main cause of accidents.. however, over speeding & reckless driving is.
I”ve seen people cutting from fast lane to slow lane and slow lane to fast lane at ove 140Kms an hour.. thats how the accidents are caused..
if everyone follow the traffic rules & avoid reckless driving then the accidents will go down by a huge margin.
You may update this now as the Minister of Interior withheld this new regulation. So its no longer in effect.lol.
The world comes up with more advanced cars every day. every country in the world is increasing its speed limits. except for us of course.
Thank Maj. Al Ali. I bet he’s going to be even more unpopular on social media after this.
I think that the minister (interior maybe?) has postponed this plan. I heard the plan, of reducing speeds, was proposed by the police department.
Im not sure about all of this. Im very jaded when it comes to “great” ideas in Kuwait. They never seem to be thought out properly. And it doesn’t seem to make much sense since we can only drive the current speed limit on very off hours when there is no traffic. All other times the roads are crawling.
In fact I would say that a major problem is all the people driving too slowly, especially in the middle lane. The highways here are almost never moving at full speed.
Most of the world uses a left lane fastest right lane slowest system, but for some reason here its left fast middle slow right fast.
Every on or exit ramp on the highway is a horrible mess of congestion because nobody will move over to get off the highway ahead of time, its as if the exit is a surprise to them, even though they get off at the same place every day.
Anyway if the new speed limit works il eat my words.
P.s. next great idea…..speed bumps on the highway.
I don’t know why we don’t just introduce variable speed limits.
I recently went on a road trip in the UK, and their implementation of variable speeds works beautifully. Take a look at this photo: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c8/Uk_40_mph_advisory.jpg
The limit here (in the pic) of 40mph, changes according to traffic. You see these signs every 1/2 Mile and have a speed limit showing in each and every lane, and behind the signs (after you pass the sign) EACH LANE has its OWN average speed camera that captures speeds based on the variable limits on that road at the specific point in time. Also, if there is a road diversion or construction, the signs will show the necessary information with the new speed limits because of the diversion.(e.g. “Road works on left lane, diversion ahead in 4mi”) They work great!
For example, there is no need for Fhaiheel Road (30) to be limited to 80Km/h between 4th RR and 1st RR after lets say, 11PM onwards when the roads are empty. (the old speed limit), and with the new speed limit, again in off-peak hours, why would we limit people in motorways from 1st RR and 2nd RR to 80kph?
Obviously these changes need to be studied further before they can be implemented, but they can work to everyone’s benefit, and at the same time keep drivers in Kuwait constantly aware of their speeds.
P.S. There is also a camera at the emergency lane that will capture violators using the emergency lane when it is not open (emergency lanes open on motorways during rush hour in the UK). This is all done automatically, with no manual human input. The cameras can also detect if a car is misusing the Bus Lane.
I honestly believe that this is the only effective way to figure out speeds in Kuwait, since all traffic is more or less the same places and time everyday in Kuwait, we can play with speed limits during certain hours, until you get better traffic patterns.
In my country, the motorway speed limit got raised to 140 km/h, and the police won’t touch you if you don’t go north of 160 km/h. Lowering the speed limit won’t prevent road accidents. What will make a difference is more emphasis on driving culture and education + less corruption.
All these Traffic rules and speed limit discussion is ok…But the real issue of treating everyone fairly is the real concern.
Few months back they introduced a campaign to severe penalize traffic offenders to the extent of impounding their vehicles or even deporting them. The law in brackets was (Mainly for expats) .When a kuwaiti commits a serious offense, the police requires a Court order to impound his vehicle, but for an expat they could straight away impound or even deport him.
Bullshit laws i say , when they cannot punish without discrimination. Kuwait still needs to devolop in Human treatment.They have despite all the oil wealth have not entered the 20th century let along the 21st.
That’s not true, I’ve had a ton of Kuwaiti friends who have had their cars impounded for random shit like tinted windows or even a small sticker on the rear window, but I don’t know of any expat friend who’s ever had their car impounded.
This condition that A court order is needed to impound Kuwaiti vehicles(including jail) was published in Kuwait/Arab times, you can verify it yourself.
When i say impounded it means impounded for a specific period of time like 1 or 3 months(and possibly jail time too) and no wasta will work.
For tinted glasses they don’t impound the vehicle too long. They just keep it in the police station and then they will release it within a few days after you pay up the fines.
I have had an expat friend whose faced this due to tinted windows.his car was released in 2 days.
When it comes to Other major Offenses as per kuwaiti law an expat car can be impounded without Court order, but for kuwaitis court order is must.
I hardly know of any country which does this type of differential treatment. Its nothing against kuwait, but this law is very discriminatory.
I had a Kuwaiti friend who was caught speeding on the highway. They impounded his car right on the spot and it took him ages to clear it and get it back out of the impound lot.
Implement a Metro for heaven’s sake. But they will not comment on it . You know why? Because most of the beneficiaries will be Expatriates , and kuwait as such hardly gives much benefit to expats. They know it will reduce traffic congestion,but No they cannot do this if majority users are expats. loll
Why does everything come down to Kuwaiti Vs the Expats?
@ashraf …Well thats the reality in Kuwait