North Carolina driving lesson · Basic Driving Skills & Rules
Speed limits & stopping distance
A 3-minute lesson from the North Carolina course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
Your speed decides how far you travel before you can stop. Stopping distance includes the distance covered during your reaction time plus braking distance, and both grow with speed.
211 feet
Approximate distance to stop completely from 55 mph, even in ideal conditions
On a multi-lane highway, if you're moving slower than the posted limit, drive in the extreme right lane unless passing, turning left or avoiding an obstruction.
Studies show a vehicle moving considerably below the posted limit is much more likely to cause or be involved in a crash than one moving at normal speed.
A town street has no speed limit sign. The limit is 35 mph, since that's the default in cities and towns unless posted otherwise. Once you're outside town limits on an unposted highway, it becomes 55 mph.
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 speed limit in North Carolina cities and towns?
35 mph
25 mph
45 mph
55 mph
Answer: 35 mph
Unless otherwise posted, the speed limit is 35 mph in cities and towns.