Kansas driving lesson · Visual Search, Speed & Space Management
Adjusting speed for road conditions
A 3-minute lesson from the Kansas course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
The faster you go, the more time and distance you need to turn, slow or stop. Curves, rain, snow and ice cut your tires' grip, so slow down before you need to, not in the middle of trouble.
Know the rule
Always reduce speed before entering a curve, to a speed that lets you apply slight, constant acceleration through it. Slow more when traction is poor, when following others, or when you can't see the end of the curve.
Too fast in a curve, the tires lose traction because momentum wants to go straight (inertia). Hard braking after entering a curve can also make the tires lose traction.
Reduce speed at the first sign of rain, snow or sleet. Roads are most slippery when precipitation first starts, as water mixes with dirt and oil; a sudden rain on a hot day is very slippery for the first few minutes.
A summer thunderstorm starts after a hot, dry week. The first few minutes are the slickest because oil from the asphalt rises to the surface. Slow down about 10 mph below recommended speeds and increase your following distance.
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.
On wet roadways, the handbook recommends reducing your speed by about how much below normal recommended speeds?
About 25 mph
About 10 mph
No reduction is needed if you have good tires
About 2 mph
Answer: About 10 mph
The handbook recommends reducing speed by about 10 mph on wet roads to allow for extra stopping distance.