Road sign S-1: Motorway

What it means

«Indica el principio de una autopista y, por tanto, el lugar a partir del cual se aplican las reglas especiales de circulación en este tipo de vía. […]» RD 465/2025, Annex I of the RGC (BOE-A-2025-12199), Spanish original.

It marks the entrance to a motorway, or to the slip road of an interchange that leads to it, and from there the special rules for this type of road apply.

Where you meet it

You see it at the start of the motorway or on the slip road leading to it. It is an information sign, but it switches on a whole legal regime: the sign's name does not tell you what to do, the rule that applies from there does (RGC art. 146).

What you must do

From it on, apply the rules of the road: the list of banned users is short and worth memorising, animal-drawn vehicles, bicycles, mopeds and vehicles for persons with reduced mobility (RGC art. 38.1).

Details that count

The 60 km/h minimum on motorways and dual carriageways is a single figure for every motor vehicle, with no distinction by category; the maximum does vary by category, and for a lorry it is 90 (RGC arts. 49.1 and 48.1.a.1). On a fast road the speed differential is what kills (RGC art. 38.2).

What it is confused with

It is confused with S-1a, «Dual carriageway». Both have separated carriageways and no level crossings; what separates them is access from roadside land and that the motorway is reserved exclusively for motor vehicles (TRLSV Annex I, concepts 66 and 67). It also resembles S-3, the road reserved for motor vehicles, which is a different sign.

Related signs

• S-1a: Dual carriageway
• S-3: Road reserved for motor vehicles
• S-5: Tunnel

Studied in topic 31: Motorways and dual carriageways.

Source: RGC arts. 38.1, 38.2, 48.1.a, 49.1, 146; TRLSV Annex I, concepts 66 and 67; RGC Annex I, sign S-1 (RD 465/2025).