Adapting your speed to road conditions is critical for safety reasons. Lower speed will allow you easily adapt to changing road circumstances. Even if an accident happens, at a low speed the consequences will be less serious. When deciding on your vehicle’s speed it is crucial to evaluate the whole traffic situation including road conditions, weather conditions, your visibility of the traffic ahead and your vehicle’s load.
Basic speed limits
The basic rules regarding speed limits state the following speed limits for certain roads:
- In built-up areas the speed must not exceed 50 km/h
- Outside built-up areas the basic speed limit is 70 km/h
- The speed limit for motorways is 110 km/h
When to keep speed low
It is important to keep sufficiently low speed at certain parts of the road and at certain conditions including but not limited to the following:
- In poor visibility conditions
- At densely populated areas
- approaching pedestrian crossings
- at sharp bends and at the brows of hills
- approaching cross traffic
- when passing a scene of an accident
- when passing road works
- when approaching children
- when approaching a bus which stopped at a bus stop
- when approaching a tram which stopped at a tram stop
- in residential areas
- near schools and playgrounds
It is vital to know that by driving faster you in the end save very little time. Is it really worth risking your own life and the lives of others? Think twice.