Posted speed limits are maximums for ideal conditions, not targets, and the right speed is often lower than the posted limit.
- Default limits: where no sign is posted, the limit is 50 km/h in cities, towns, and villages, and 80 km/h on roads outside built-up areas.
- School and community safety zones: reduced limits apply during posted hours; fines are often increased.
- Adjust for conditions: slow down on wet, icy, or snow-covered roads, in fog, in heavy traffic, and at night.
- Following distance: keep at least a two-second gap behind the vehicle ahead in good conditions. Increase it to three or four seconds in rain, snow, fog, or behind a large vehicle that blocks your view.
- The two-second rule: pick a fixed object ahead; when the vehicle in front passes it, count "one-thousand-one, one-thousand-two". You should not reach the object before you finish.
Common mistake: matching the speed of surrounding traffic even when it is above the limit. The posted limit is the legal maximum regardless of what other drivers do.
🧠 Memory hook, "50 in town, 80 around": the two default limits when no sign is posted.
Recall: What are the two default speed limits when no sign is posted? How do you measure a two-second following distance, and when should you increase it?