Speed limit

Drivers and riders can both be fined or receive demerit points if caught travelling over the speed limit. For excessive speeding, you may face harsher penalties like licence cancellation or suspension and vehicle impoundment or immobilisation.

Always ensure safe driving practices when using our roads.

Speed related road rules

The following road rules and reference numbers regarding speed limits are outlined in full within the Road Safety Road Rules 2017.

  • 20 Obeying the speed-limit
  • 21 Speed-limit where a speed-limit sign applies
  • 22 Speed-limit in a speed-limited area
  • 23 Speed-limit in a school zone
  • 24 Speed-limit in a shared zone
  • 25 Speed-limit elsewhere

The following rule can be read in full within the Road Safety Act 1986.

  • Part 6A - Impoundment, immobilisation and forfeiture of motor vehicles
  • Schedule 5 – Minimum suspension periods for excessive speed

Penalties for speeding for vehicles 4.5 tonnes or below

The penalties are:

Exceeding the speed limit Penalty (as at I July 2022) Demerit points
 Automatic licence suspension 
By less than 10 km/h $231 1  -  
10 km/h - 24 km/h $370 3  -  
25 km/h - 29 km/h $509

 - 

 3 months 
30 km/h - 34 km/h $601  -  3 months 
35 km/h - 39 km/h  $693  -   6 months 
40 km/h - 44 km/h  $786  -   6 months 
By 45 km/h or more  $925  -   12 months 
20 km/h - 24 km/h (110 km/h zone)  $370  -   3 months 

Penalties for speeding for vehicles exceeding 4.5 tonnes

The penalties are:

Exceeding the speed limit Penalty (as at 1 July 2022) Demerit points
 Automatic licence suspension
By less than 10 km/h $324 1  -
10 km/h - 14 km/h $509 3  -
15 km/h - 24 km/h $740

3

  -
25 km/h - 29 km/h $1,017 - 3 months
30 km/h - 34 km/h $1,294 - 3 months
35 km/h - 39 km/h $1,572 - 6 months
40 km/h - 44 km/h  $1,849 -  6 months 
By 45 km/h or more $2,127 - 12 months

20 km/h - 24 km/h (110 km/h zone)
unless speed restricted

 $740 -

3 months

 

 

Road signs are used throughout Victoria to advise and enforce. You must travel at or below the speed shown on speed limit signs.

There are two types of speed limit signs:

  • Standard speed limit signs
  • Electronic speed limit signs.

Speed limit signs aren’t displayed on all Victorian roads. Where signs are not displayed, a default speed limit is always in effect:

Area Speed Limit Why?
School zones 40 km/h School speed zones are reduced-speed areas located around schools. They’re designed to keep kids safe by lowering the speed limit at peak times when they are travelling to and from school.

To learn more about school speed limits and rules, see ourschool speed zones page.
Shopping strips 40 km/h A 40 km/h speed limit applies in many of Melbourne’s busy strip shopping centres because of high level pedestrian activity.

These limits are clearly marked with electronic variable speed signs and advance warning signs.
Built up areas 50 km/h

The default speed limit for Victoria’s roads in built-up areas is 50 km/h and applies on all roads in suburban areas where there are no speed limit signs displayed.

As high pedestrian and cyclist activity occurs in built-up areas, you should consider travelling at a speed well below the maximum speed limit.
Rural and other metropolitan towns 50 km/h A reduced speed limit of 50 km/h has been introduced in many rural and outer metropolitan areas to improve driver, passenger and pedestrian safety.

The 50 km/h speed limit in these areas applies at all times and is marked by clearly visible speed signs.
Country roads 100 km/h In rural Victoria, the default speed limit outside of built-up areas is 100 km/h. This default speed limit operates on roads where there are no speed limit signs.

Additional speed limits include the following:

  • Speed limited areas
    Some speed signs set a speed limit across a whole area or group of roads linked together. An ‘area speed sign’ appears at the start of each road where a new area begins. The speed limit on these signs is the speed limit you have to follow on all the roads in the area.
  • Shared zones
    In shared zones the road or path for vehicles is also used by pedestrians. The speed limit in these areas is shown on the shared zone sign.
  • Areas undergoing roadworks
    Speed limits are usually reduced around roadworks. You may see temporary speed signs showing lower speed limits when approaching roadworks. If you pass a roadworks speed sign, you need to drive at or below the speed on the sign. You need to continue driving within the reduced speed limit until you pass a sign showing a different speed limit.The temporary speed limit applies even if you cannot see roadworks being undertaken.  

Intelligent Speed Assist (ISA) is a safety technology that alerts drivers if they exceed the speed limit.

How does ISA work?

ISA uses global positioning (GPS) or satellite navigation technology to know what road a vehicle is travelling on. It compares this information with a digital map which contains the speed limit for that road at that location. If the vehicle is travelling faster than the speed limit, the driver will receive a visual and/or audio warning from the ISA device.

Road safety benefits

Research from around the world has shown that ISA can significantly reduce travel speeds and therefore crashes. Research undertaken by the TAC and MUARC in Australia estimates that ISA can reduce fatal and serious injury crashes by up to eight per cent.

VicRoads Repeat Speeders Trial

The results of a landmark study of Victorian motorists with a history of speeding has found that using speed alert devices can reduce speeding and potentially save lives.

VicRoads designed and conducted two trials, one involving repeat speeders attending a behaviour change discussion group, while the other used advisory ISA technology to warn drivers they were speeding. Researchers from the Monash University Accident Research Centre independently evaluated the trials.

Monash University Accident Research Centre Repeat Speeders Trial Final Evaluation Report [PDF 1.1 Mb]

Repeat Speeders Trial Final Evaluation Report Appendix [PDF 16.3 Mb]

Environmental benefits

Local and international research also indicates that the use of ISA produces fewer fluctuations in travel speed which results in a higher fuel efficiency and a subsequent decrease in vehicle emissions.

Some portable satellite navigation (GPS) devices already have speed limit information in them and can be set to provide a warning to drivers if they travel over the speed limit.

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