A 3-minute lesson from the Minnesota course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
The faster you go, the less time you have to react and the worse a crash gets. Minnesota combines a basic "reasonable for conditions" rule with fixed limits and extra penalties for extreme speed.
On wide roads keep to the right side, except when:
Passing a vehicle going in the same direction
The right side is closed for construction or repair
The road has three marked lanes
Signs show the road is one-way
Moving over for an authorized vehicle stopped on the road under the Move Over Law
On roads with a posted minimum speed, driving slower than the minimum under normal conditions is illegal; bad weather or poor roads can make slower driving necessary.
You're behind a slow truck on a two-lane highway posted 55 mph. While lawfully passing you may reach 65 mph, then drop back to 55. On a two-lane road posted 50 mph, the extra 10 mph doesn't apply.
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.
What does Minnesota's basic speed law require?
Never more than 5 mph over the limit
You drive as fast as traffic flow allows
A speed reasonable for conditions
You drive at least 10 mph under the limit in the rain
Answer: A speed reasonable for conditions
The basic speed law requires a speed reasonable for weather, traffic, and road conditions, even below the posted limit.
