Starting this summer, drivers in the Czech Republic will be allowed to travel at 150 km/h for the first time on selected sections of motorways. The trial will begin on the D3 between Tábor and České Budějovice, with factors such as weather conditions and traffic density influencing the maximum speed allowed.
Initially, higher speeds will be permitted on the stretch of the D3 between Tábor and České Budějovice. The tender process for the supplier of the new signage is currently underway, with the Road and Motorway Directorate (ŘSD) expecting to sign a contract with the winner in March or April. The installation of the signs will take around two months and is expected to be completed by the end of June or early July.
However, higher speeds will only be allowed under specific conditions. Weather and traffic density will determine the allowed speed, which will be displayed by prismatic, rotating variable traffic signs. These signs can change their meaning as they rotate.
The Road and Motorway Directorate (ŘSD) has already identified other motorway sections in the Czech Republic that could potentially see the maximum speed limit raised from the current 130 km/h to 150 km/h. For example, a higher speed limit might be introduced on the D1 between Přerov and Ostrava or on the D11 near Hradec Králové. However, according to ŘSD, the results of the trial on the D3 will first be analysed before any further decisions are made.
“We want to evaluate how the increased limit is received by the public and whether it leads to a rise in accident rates,” said Transport Minister Martin Kupka (ODS) in an interview with the news channel ČT24.
The increase in the speed limit on selected motorway sections was made possible by a legislative amendment in 2023. The last time the speed limit on Czech motorways was raised was 28 years ago, when it increased from 120 to 130 km/h in 1997.
