Roadwise States Arizona Driving lessons Speed limits Arizona driving lesson · Speed Limits, Signs & Markings
Speed limits A 2-minute lesson from the Arizona course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
Read time 2 minutes
Course unit Speed Limits, Signs & Markings
Checkpoint questions 6
Source pages 39, 40 Arizona sets speed limits using road conditions, traffic flow and crash history. You must obey every posted limit. When no limit is posted, the law supplies one — and you must still slow down whenever conditions are worse than ideal.
Know the rule
Obey all posted speed limits and be ready to adjust your speed quickly if necessary.
Handbook p. 39 ↗ White regulatory speed limit sign Know the rule
White speed limit signs with black letters are regulatory: they show the maximum speed you may legally go.
Handbook p. 40 ↗ Know the rule
Orange signs with black letters show recommended safe speeds for curves, grades or other special conditions. Slow down until you're sure you can get through safely.
Handbook p. 40 ↗ Know the rule
Speed limits are set for the best driving conditions. On wet roads or roads with snow or ice, reduce your speed appropriately.
Handbook p. 40 ↗ Know the rule
In bad weather, double your following distance and reduce your speed appropriately.
Handbook p. 40 ↗ Know the rule
Driving too slowly can be as dangerous as driving too fast. When you're slower than surrounding traffic, keep right and let faster vehicles pass.
Handbook p. 40 ↗ SLOWER TRAFFIC KEEP RIGHT Put it into practice
You're on a residential street with no speed limit sign. The limit is 25 mph. As you approach a school crosswalk, it drops to 15 mph.
A useful reminder Unposted ladder: 15 school crosswalk, 25 business/residential, 55 open highway or city freeway, 65 designated open highway, 75 rural freeway.
Check your understanding Read the question, decide on an answer, then open it to check the explanation. These are Roadwise study questions based on the source handbook.
When no speed limit is posted, what is the maximum speed approaching a school crosswalk? 15 mph 25 mph 35 mph 20 mph Answer: 15 mph
Unless otherwise posted, the maximum speed approaching a school crosswalk is 15 mph.
Handbook p. 40 ↗ When no speed limit is posted, what is the maximum speed in a business or residential district? 15 mph 35 mph 45 mph 25 mph Answer: 25 mph
Unless otherwise posted, the maximum speed in a business or residential district is 25 mph.
Handbook p. 40 ↗ When no speed limit is posted, what is the maximum speed on open highways or city freeways? 75 mph 45 mph 55 mph 65 mph Answer: 55 mph
Unless otherwise posted, open highways or city freeways carry a default maximum of 55 mph.
Handbook p. 40 ↗ When no speed limit is posted, what is the maximum speed on rural freeways? 85 mph 75 mph 65 mph 55 mph Answer: 75 mph
Unless otherwise posted, rural freeways carry a default maximum of 75 mph, the highest unposted limit in the handbook.
Handbook p. 40 ↗ When no speed limit is posted, what is the maximum speed on designated open highways (as distinct from rural freeways)? 65 mph 75 mph 55 mph 70 mph Answer: 65 mph
Designated open highways carry a default of 65 mph, between the 55 mph freeway/highway default and the 75 mph rural freeway default.
Handbook p. 40 ↗ You must obey all posted speed limits regardless of the unposted defaults. True False Answer: True
Posted limits always apply; the default speeds only apply when no limit is posted.
Handbook p. 40 ↗ Previous lesson Red-light running penalties Next lesson Sign shapes & colors More in Speed Limits, Signs & Markings About the source Roadwise’s Arizona course uses the driver handbook edition supplied with this study pack. This lesson cites source pages 39, 40. The linked PDF is a third-party mirror of the handbook, rather than a government-hosted page.
Open the handbook source PDF · View the source edition
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