Speed limitBrazil

An introduction to the traffic rules and road signs of Brazil. Learn about driving, road safety and much more in our illustrated book, with answers to frequently asked questions.

For informational purposes only. Always follow official regulations. Some content and images were created with AI assistance.


2. Speed limit

A speed limit is the maximum legal speed permitted on a road, lane or within a designated area. It may be established by general traffic law or indicated by fixed, variable or temporary traffic signs.

A speed limit is a maximum, not a target speed. Drivers must travel more slowly whenever traffic, visibility, weather, road conditions, vulnerable road users or the condition of the vehicle make the maximum permitted speed unsafe.

80 km/h speed-limit sign. (Minas Gerais, Brazil)
Wikimedia.org • Agencia CNT de Noticias • CC BY
Which general speed limits should car drivers know in Brazil?

Without another regulatory sign, Brazil’s urban defaults are 80 km/h on rapid-transit roads, 60 km/h on arterial roads, 40 km/h on collector roads and 30 km/h on local roads. For ordinary cars, unsigned paved rural-highway maxima are 110 km/h on divided roads and 100 km/h on single-carriageway roads; unpaved rural roads have a 60 km/h default. Authorised signed limits can differ.

🔗 planalto.gov.br • Brazilian Traffic Code — Articles 29, 36, 43, 60–62, 70 and 219; Annex I road classifications

Start of a speed limit. Start of a speed limit.

English • Traffic sign R-19 • Maximum permitted speed. Sets an 80 km/h maximum, as illustrated. Reduce speed when conditions require.

Português • R-19 • Velocidade máxima permitida. Estabelece a velocidade máxima de 80 km/h, valor mostrado na ilustração. Reduza a velocidade quando as condições exigirem.

Sources

🔗 Commons.wikimedia.org (Amateria1121 • CC BY-SA 3.0)
🔗 Gov.br • CONTRAN/SENATRAN: MBST, Volume I, página PDF 35

SVG source: Commons.wikimedia.org • Original SVG
Amateria1121 • CC BY-SA 3.0 • Original revision 2022-12-29. Wikimedia original unmodified.

Artwork reviewed against the Brazilian Manual Brasileiro de Sinalização de Trânsito (current SENATRAN catalogue): Gov.br • R-19, PDF page 35. Intentional educational illustration update from the previous PNG; original SVG unmodified.

Does an unsigned Brazilian urban road always have a 50 km/h default?

No. The Traffic Code uses the road classes via de trânsito rápido, via arterial, via coletora and via local, with defaults of 80, 60, 40 and 30 km/h respectively. The actual road classification matters when no regulatory speed sign is present.

🔗 planalto.gov.br • Brazilian Traffic Code — Articles 29, 36, 43, 60–62, 70 and 219; Annex I road classifications

Can a Brazilian road authority sign a different limit from the default?

Yes. The authority responsible for the road can establish a higher or lower signed limit according to its characteristics and traffic conditions. Follow that restriction and any vehicle-specific rule; the unsigned default does not override an authorised regulatory sign.

🔗 planalto.gov.br • Brazilian Traffic Code — Articles 29, 36, 43, 60–62, 70 and 219; Annex I road classifications

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