Kansas driving lesson · Kansas Rules of the Road: Speed & Basic Laws
Speed limits and the basic speed law
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.
Kansas speed rules work in two layers. The basic speed law says your speed must always fit conditions. On top of that, the law sets maximum limits that apply wherever no other limit is posted.
A posted or default limit is the most you may drive in good conditions, not a target. Rain, snow, heavy traffic or being tired can make a lower speed the only legal one.
Basic speed law (K.S.A. 8-1557)
Never drive faster than is reasonable and prudent under existing conditions: road, weather, your vehicle's condition and your own physical condition.
Even with no minimum posted, it is unlawful to drive so slowly that you impede or block the normal movement of traffic (K.S.A. 8-1561), unless slower speed is needed for safe operation under the basic speed law.
You're on a county road with no posted sign, so the limit is 55 mph. Thick fog rolls in and you can barely see the road edge. The basic speed law now requires you to slow well below 55, and driving slowly for safety isn't 'impeding' traffic.
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.
Unless otherwise posted, what is the maximum speed limit on a county or township road?
45 mph
55 mph
65 mph
50 mph
Answer: 55 mph
County or township roads default to a 55 mph maximum speed limit.