You are driving on a freeway with a posted speed limit of 65 mph. Traffic is traveling at 70 mph. You may legally drive:
Answers
70 mph or faster to keep up with the speed of traffic.
Between 65 mph and 70 mph.
No faster than 65 mph.
The Correct Answer and Explanation is :
The correct answer is: No faster than 65 mph.
Explanation:
When driving on a freeway, the posted speed limit is the maximum legal speed you are allowed to travel, regardless of the speed of other vehicles around you. The law does not allow you to exceed the speed limit simply because other drivers are going faster. In this case, even though traffic is moving at 70 mph, you are still legally required to obey the posted speed limit of 65 mph.
Speed limits are set for safety reasons, considering road conditions, traffic flow, and other factors. Exceeding the speed limit can lead to legal consequences such as fines or even more serious penalties, such as accidents or traffic violations that result from driving too fast for the conditions.
The general rule is that you must not drive faster than the posted speed limit, regardless of the surrounding traffic conditions. Some people believe that they can drive slightly faster than the speed limit to keep up with traffic, but this is a misunderstanding of traffic laws. Even if other drivers are speeding, you are still legally required to follow the limit.
In certain situations, such as heavy traffic or specific driving conditions (e.g., weather-related hazards), it may be appropriate to drive slower than the posted limit to ensure safety, but you cannot legally exceed the speed limit to match the pace of others.
While it might feel safer to keep up with the flow of traffic, the law does not allow you to exceed the speed limit under these circumstances. If you drive faster than the posted limit, even if it feels like you’re keeping up with traffic, you can still be ticketed for speeding. Therefore, the correct and safest course of action is to not exceed the speed limit of 65 mph, even if other drivers are going faster.