The new speed limit on Spanish highways goes into effect today and will remain in place until June 30.

Drivers' associations have said that the move will do little to improve road safety, and say that the government needs to think about increasing the limit above 120 km/h, such as in Germany and the Netherlands. Even the UK is talking about raising the limit to 128 km/h, or 80 mph.

The Spanish Royal Automobile Club, RACE, says it doubts that in itself, simply lowering the speed limit will do much to save fuel, and says that "education about responsible fuel use," along with measures to promote the use of public transport would make more sense.

The Catalan Royal Automobile Club describes the move as "incoherent," adding that introducing 30 km/h zones in cities will lead to more pollution and inefficient use of gasoline.

Meanwhile, critics of the move also point out that the measures will have no impact on car driving in cities, where public transport is still unable to meet demand, meaning that many people prefer to sit in traffic jams than stand on crowded buses and trains.