Spain’s new 150km/h AI Smart Motorway System: What you need to know
By Marc Menendez-Roche • Updated: 23 Apr 2025 • 18:39 • 1 minute read
Smart traffic system to put the pedal to the metal on AP-7. Credit: Den Rozhnovsky, Shutterstock
Some are up in arms, others are revving their engines in delight – Spain has ushered in a new era on its motorways. One where drivers who can barely handle a roundabout are now legally hitting 150km/h. What could possibly go wrong?
Spain has just waved the chequered flag on a bold new traffic initiative – and it’s left many drivers doing a double take.
The speed limit on a stretch of the AP-7 motorway in Catalonia has officially been raised to 150kph (93mph), making it one of the fastest public roads in Europe. That’s right – Spanish motorists can now legally cruise past the 120 km-an-hour mark, but only under specific conditions.
The Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT), Spain’s traffic authority, is calling it part of their “smart traffic” revolution. In a move that blends artificial intelligence with everyday motoring, the system uses real-time data – including weather conditions, traffic flow, volume, and time of day – to decide how fast cars can go.
If conditions are ideal – think clear skies, quiet roads, and off-peak hours – the limit can shoot up to 150kph. But if the heavens open or congestion builds, the speed cap will drop, helping to keep things safe and sensible. It’s a dynamic limit that adjusts with the times – literally.
The variable speed zone covers the stretch between Maçanet de la Selva and El Vendrell, spanning roughly 145 kilometres. Normally limited to 120kph (75mph), the AP-7 is getting a futuristic facelift in this pilot rollout.
While Britain’s motorways have long embraced variable speed limits – especially around bottlenecks and smart motorway stretches – Spain has typically stuck to fixed limits. This marks the first time a major Spanish road has introduced such tech-driven flexibility on a large scale.
2025 will see huge changes to Spanish motorways. And, according to the DGT, this is just the start of a wider strategy to modernise Spain’s road network with smarter, safer traffic management tools. The official DGT site states that the project aims to “improve safety, efficiency and sustainability” through intelligent transport systems.
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Marc Menendez-Roche
Marc is a writer, educator, and language enthusiast with a background in business and legal communication. With over a decade of experience in writing and teaching, he brings a clear, engaging voice to complex topics—guided by a keen interest in educational neuroscience and how people learn. At Euro Weekly News, Marc contributes lifestyle features and community-focused stories that highlight everyday life across Spain. His ability to connect language, learning, and lived experience helps bring depth and relatability to the topics he covers.
Comments
Keith
24 April 2025 • 13:33What’s the issue most modern cars are partly driving themselves today they are monitoring traffic around and will slow the car quicker than most drivers it’s not an unsafe speed. My own car keeps me in lane brakes and maintains safe distance and monitors the weather .
Motorway are meant to be high speed highways. I travel on German motorway regularly do more than 100mph cars cruise happily at that speed. Yes you have to be more alert but with modern cars they are watching out with the cameras and radars . The issue then become these slower drivers and lorries . We need to adjust the minimum speed on motorways as the number of people driving to slowly in the wrong is dangerous. Also the iver liafing of cars and vans yes the morrocans and other African national driving on Spain motorway have there cars and vans over loaded. Thee are more dangerous than a car doing 93mph. Lorries pulling out and blocking two or more lanes they don’t have the speed or power to go awsy where. These need to be addressed.
Adrian Coelho
26 April 2025 • 06:20If cars travel at 150 they are more likely to burn 15% more fuel. And, although the driver might enjoy the speed you have a lot less control of the car. Relying purely on the safety systems in the car is not a good idea.
Adrian Coelho
26 April 2025 • 22:29that comment you replied to has mentioned nothing on relying on systems at all, not even a bit mentioned them as anything more than being there in case.
Cars cannot be “more likely” to burn more fuel. Each car is different, and each has a specific consumption based on it’s engine tuning and gearing. If the gearing is proper, the car possibly will burn less fuel than on a lower speed. If with a 5th gear it has 1,5-2,5k revolutions at 120, and the same at 170 km/h, then it won’t burn more fuel. Most cars are designed in Europe like this, especially diesels which are the most popular type of car in Europe as of 2025. The only issue might be wind.
Brian
24 April 2025 • 13:47I bet this won’t last long given the quality of many of the drivers in mainland Spain and it’s Islands! As the article starts, watch on roundabouts and lack of indicators! Accident levels could go soaring!
Anonymous
25 April 2025 • 07:05So British drivers are so much better? What the actual f is this comments about Spanish people in the article? Is this written by AI? 😂
Marc Menendez-Roche
25 April 2025 • 08:17Hi anonymous, thanks for for your comment. You make a really good point. It’s definitely not about nationality. It’s about understanding roundabouts, courtesy, and safety on the road. Definitely not a nationality thing. Thanks for reading. All the best, Marc
Adrian Coelho
26 April 2025 • 06:27It’s not about better it’s how they drive. I’ve been driving from France to the UK for 24 years. And it has divinely gotten worse i. The UK over that time. There are mot cameras and road works in the UK. And driving through France! All bets are off as soon as you reach the South. Then my stress levels increase. I’m happy to drive at 110 because 10 minutes earlier makes no difference over 100s of KMs. But people who speed are generally quite aggressive. And presume use they can handle 4 tons of SUV if anything goes wrong. Having flown a car of a 49ft mountain road in Spain when I was 17 I know you can’t.
Adrian Coelho
26 April 2025 • 22:31In Europe 4 tons SUVs, with luggage, require a truck license.
I live in the south, have a house in the south of france, live in Italy. France is crazy I agree, but on highways they do drive 200 250 kmh, and keep distances. Italy is even more safe at high speeds.
joseph
25 April 2025 • 14:31BRITISH drivers are so much better than SPANISH drivers!
Jullian
25 April 2025 • 15:11What is urgently needed is making it an illegal, arrestable offence to move into the far left passing lane at meandering speed and without looking or signalling.
Far too many drivers just drift over at barely 10kph more than the car they are passing. I’ve done Pitt Manoeuvres twice in Spain, leaving the offending drivers flipped over on the embankment. I hope no-one was seriously injured, but it was completely their fault for turning into the high speed, passing lane.
Henk
26 April 2025 • 09:23Let’s make it an arrestable offence to signal with headlights for people who think they own the left lane, like jullian.
Hank
26 April 2025 • 22:32Julian just flips them, does not warn with high beams
Juan Rodriguez Hernandez
26 April 2025 • 12:02I find this article very offensive, how can we generalise an entire population as bad drivers and mock them for getting access to fast motorways? What a disgrace!
I find this extremely xenophobic, out of touch and just dam right insensitive.
Comments are closed.