Why can trucks drive faster inside cities than outside? (BUA speed limit override for commercial vehicles)

Symptoms / Triggers
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You may need this article if you observe:
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Commercial Vehicles (CV) are allowed to drive faster inside urban areas (BUA) than outside
Vehicle speed limits for Commercial Vehicles differ from passenger cars
Confusion about why a higher Speed Limit (SL) applies in cities for CV in some countries
Routing or map data shows higher CV speeds in BUA than in rural roads
Questions about BUA_Overrides attribute behavior

Quick Answer (Answer‑First)
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Commercial Vehicles (CV) can follow a posted speed limit in a Built‑up Area (BUA) even if it is higher than the national urban default.

This happens because the BUA_Overrides attribute allows the posted speed to override the default limit.

Explanation
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In many countries (e.g., Germany):

Default urban speed = 50 km/h

If a higher speed sign is posted (e.g., 60 or 70 km/h):

It applies to all vehicles, including Commercial Vehicles (CV)

Outside urban areas:

Commercial Vehicles (CV) may have stricter legally defined limits
These limits are NOT overridden by posted speed signs

Key Difference (BUA vs Non‑BUA)
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Inside BUA:

Posted speed limits override the default urban speed (via BUA_Overrides)
Apply to all vehicle types

Outside BUA:

Statutory limits for Commercial Vehicles remain in force
Even if higher speed signs are present

What is BUA_Overrides?
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Introduced in: DVN 231H0 (Q1 2024)
Purpose:
+ Indicates that a posted speed limit overrides the default urban speed
Effect:
+ Removes the restriction from the default urban speed limit
+ Allows CV to follow the posted speed

What counts as a Commercial Vehicle (CV)?
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Includes:

Small vans
Light trucks
Medium trucks
Heavy trucks

Notes:

No restriction by:
+ Weight
+ Size
+ Specific vehicle class
The term does not refer to a single technical category like “truck only”, instead It is an umbrella concept → “CV = any vehicle used for commercial purposes”

Example Scenario
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Urban default: 50 km/h
Posted limit inside BUA: 70 km/h

➡️ Result:

Passenger cars → 70 km/h
Commercial Vehicles (CV) → 70 km/h (due to BUA_Overrides)

What are the countries where BUA_Overrrides applies?
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Note: The presence of a country in this list indicates that the BUA_Overrides attribute is supported in HERE data for that region. Actual behavior may still depend on local traffic regulations and data availability.

| | |
| --- | --- |
| Region | Country Name |
| AU | Australia |
| EEU | Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| Bulgaria |
| Croatia |
| Cyprus |
| Czech Republic |
| Estonia |
| Georgia |
| Greece |
| Kazakhstan |
| Kosovo |
| Latvia |
| Lithuania |
| Moldova |
| Montenegro |
| North Macedonia |
| Poland |
| Romania |
| Serbia |
| Slovakia |
| Slovenia |
| Turkey |
| Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus |
| MEA | Algeria |
| Botswana |
| Egypt |
| eSwatini |
| Gaza Strip |
| Israel |
| Kuwait |
| Lesotho |
| Libya |
| Mayotte |
| Morocco |
| Namibia |
| Palestine |
| Reunion |
| South Africa |
| Tunisia |
| SAM |