A 3-minute lesson from the Virginia course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
Every time you drive you accept responsibility for your own safety and everyone else's. That starts with how you hold the wheel and how fast you go. Virginia's speed rules are strict: going far enough over the limit is a criminal offense, not just a ticket.
Know the rule
Sit straight but relaxed with your hands at the 8 o'clock and 4 o'clock positions. Hold the wheel with your fingers and thumbs, not your palms.
You must drive slower than posted where a school zone or work zone speed limit is in effect, or when road construction or bad weather make the posted speed unsafe.
On a 60-MPH highway you drive 80 MPH. That's 20 MPH over the limit, so you can be charged with reckless driving, a criminal misdemeanor, even though you're under 85 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.
If your steering wheel were a clock, where should your hands be positioned?
10 o'clock and 2 o'clock
9 o'clock and 3 o'clock
8 o'clock and 4 o'clock
12 o'clock and 6 o'clock
Answer: 8 o'clock and 4 o'clock
Your hands should be at the 8 o'clock and 4 o'clock positions, holding the wheel with fingers and thumbs.
