Speed limits and a safe speed

Key points

1. The posted speed limit is the maximum legal speed under ideal conditions.

   Source: Handbook p. 14

   “The posted speed limit is the maximum legal speed you can travel on a road under ideal (perfect) conditions.”
   Maryland Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 14

2. It is safest to drive at the speed most traffic is moving, up to the limit.

   Source: Handbook p. 14

   “It is safest to drive at the same speed that most traffic is moving, up to the maximum speed limit.”
   Maryland Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 14

3. Speeding is one of the most common causes of crashes, and it does not save time.

   Source: Handbook p. 14

   “Driving over the speed limit is one of the most common causes of vehicle crashes. Excessive speed does not save time”
   Maryland Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 14

4. Speed increases the force of a crash, making serious injuries and deaths more likely.

   Source: Handbook p. 14

   “Increases the force and impact in a crash, which more likely results in serious injuries and deaths.”
   Maryland Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 14

5. You may drive slower than the limit when conditions call for it, but never faster.

   Source: Handbook p. 14

   “You may drive slower than the posted speed limit, based on road conditions, but it is illegal to drive any faster than the posted speed limit.”
   Maryland Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 14

6. Slow down on sharp curves or hills, slippery roads, and where there may be pedestrians or animals.

   Source: Handbook p. 14

   “Sharp curves or hills where it is hard to see. Slippery roads. Roads where there may be pedestrians or animals.”
   Maryland Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 14

7. Also slow down near schools, playgrounds, residential streets and railroad grade crossings.

   Source: Handbook p. 14

   “Schools, playgrounds, and residential streets. Railroad grade crossings.”
   Maryland Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 14

8. Compared with a road posted 40 mph or lower, a crash on the fastest highways is nearly five times as likely to result in death.

   Source: Handbook p. 26

   “Nearly five times as likely to result in death than a crash on a road with a speed limit of 40 mph or lower.”
   Maryland Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 26

Numbers to know

3 questions from the Maryland practice test

1. 1. Why should a driver reduce speed below the posted limit when conditions are adverse?

   1. The law allows a slower speed when road conditions require it
   2. A driver may exceed the limit to match traffic in bad weather
   3. The posted number becomes a minimum during rain or snow
   4. Lower speeds are required only on roads without center lines
   Show answer

   The law allows a slower speed when road conditions require it. Maryland requires a reasonable speed that accounts for existing and potential hazards. A driver may go slower than the posted limit when road, weather, visibility, or traffic conditions call for it, but may not go faster than the limit. Matching fast traffic is not a defense for speeding in rain or snow. A concrete cue is to treat the posted number as a ceiling and conditions as a reason to lower your speed.

2. 2. Which locations are specifically listed as reasons to reduce speed for safety?

   1. Sharp curves or hills where it is hard to see
   2. Only straight roads with wide shoulders
   3. Only roads with a posted limit below 25 mph
   4. A clear road with no traffic or pedestrians
   Show answer

   Sharp curves or hills where it is hard to see. Sharp curves and hills belong on the manual’s list of conditions requiring a lower speed because they can restrict what the driver sees. Other listed situations include slippery roads, heavy traffic, narrow bridges and tunnels, schools, residential streets, and railroad crossings. A wide shoulder or a low posted number is not the test. Use the visual cue of limited sight distance and slow before entering the hidden portion of the roadway.

3. 3. What can excessive speed increase in a crash?

   1. The force and impact
   2. The driver’s available reaction time
   3. The accuracy of distance judgments
   4. The ability to handle curves
   Show answer

   The force and impact. Maryland says speeding increases the force and impact in a crash, making serious injuries and deaths more likely. It does not increase reaction time, improve distance judgments, or make curves easier to handle. In fact, the manual says excessive speed decreases the ability to recognize and react to hazards and reduces control around curves and obstacles. Use the posted limit as a maximum under ideal conditions, then slow further when traffic, weather, or road design creates risk. The cue is simple: more speed means more force when something goes wrong.

Source: the Maryland Driver's Manual, Section 3: Basic Driving. This lesson is a plain English summary, not the law itself; where it differs, the manual and the statute govern. Last checked 2026-09-27.