Default speed limits

[J Route Z]

If a road is not signed, what would be the default speed limit? Does it vary by state?

[jakeroot]

In Washington, the RCW defines speed limits, which are the defaults unless otherwise posted. 60 for state highways, 50 for county routes (of which we have none), and 25 for towns.

[DaBigE]

It depends on the type of road. It probably varies from state to state, but I would imagine only slightly.

Summing up Wisconsin's laws for "defaults" (SS 346.57 if you want the explicit details):

• 15 mph in a school zone/near a school xing or park
• 15 mph in an alley
• 25 mph in residential areas
• 35 mph in commercial areas
• 45 mph on rustic roads
• 65 mph on a freeway or expressway
• 55 mph anywhere else

[corco]

50 for county routes (of which we have none)

Washington has thousands of miles of county maintained highway.

[jakeroot]

50 for county routes (of which we have none)

Washington has thousands of miles of county maintained highway.

Is that what they meant, then? I didn't quite translate it properly. I thought it meant "county routes". In retrospect, that makes no sense.

[wxfree]

It varies by state.  In Texas, by statute the default speed limit on a rural state-maintained road is 70 mph.  The default on a rural non-state maintained road is 60.  A rural zone is technically a road outside of an "urban district," defined as an area with structures for human habitation or occupation no more than 100 feet apart for at least a quarter mile.  In an urban district the default is 30 mph, except for an alley, with a default limit of 15.

I know that some counties adopt a different default.  Johnson County, after a significant increase in rural truck traffic related to gas production, adopted a default of 40, and 30 for trucks.  I'm not sure how the county order is considered, legally, on roads without speed limit signs when state law prescribes a different default.  Some cities have signs that say "SPEED LIMIT XX" "ALL CITY STREETS UNLESS OTHERWISE SIGNED."  Due to the signage, which I've never seen for a county in Texas, I'm pretty sure that's legally solid.  I've noticed multiple counties in Oklahoma have signs saying that the speed limit on all county roads is 45 unless otherwise signed.  I don't know if that's by state law or determined by each county.

[cl94]

As said earlier, it varies by state. Here in New York, the default "state speed limit" of 55 mph applies unless otherwise posted. To remind drivers of this, state policy is for all 55 signs to say "state speed limit 55". While urbanized and residential areas always have lower speed limits, there is no explicit state law requiring this. At the end of a speed limit under 55, it is not uncommon (but becoming rarer) to see a sign stating "end xx mph limit" or the old version, "end xx mile speed", where xx is the lower speed limit. While this means the speed limit reverts to 55, many do not know this and treat it very differently.

[jeffandnicole]

NJ is, (unless otherwise signed):

25 mph when passing through a school zone during recess, when the presence of children is clearly visible from the roadway, or while children are going to or leaving school, during opening or closing hours;

25 mph in any business or residential district;

35 mph in any suburban business or residential district

50 mph in all other locations, except as otherwise provided in the 65 MPH Speed Limit Implementation Act

In reality, it's extremely rare to find a road without a speed limit not in a residental or city environment. I can only think of 1 road that doesn't have a signed speed limit.

[Jim]

As said earlier, it varies by state. Here in New York, the default "state speed limit" of 55 mph applies unless otherwise posted. To remind drivers of this, state policy is for all 55 signs to say "state speed limit 55".  While urbanized and residential areas always have lower speed limits, there is no explicit state law requiring this.

Along the lines of the "State Speed Limit 55" signs, there are also sometimes "City Speed Limit 30" or "Village Speed Limit 30" as you enter a city or village to indicate the default speed limit within that municipality.  I think I've even seen some "Area Speed Limit 45" or similar variations.

At the end of a speed limit under 55, it is not uncommon (but becoming rarer) to see a sign stating "end xx mph limit" or the old version, "end xx mile speed", where xx is the lower speed limit. While this means the speed limit reverts to 55, many do not know this and treat it very differently.

It has been a huge improvement as New York has replaced many of those "End xx MPH Limit" signs with the much clearer posting of the new actual speed limit.

[cl94]

It has been a huge improvement as New York has replaced many of those "End xx MPH Limit" signs with the much clearer posting of the new actual speed limit.

The main places with the cryptic signage are Region 5, Saratoga County, and Erie County. Region 4 places them only if they're followed by a 55 sign within a short distance. I've never seen a 55 on a Saratoga County road and Erie County has about 15 55 signs, half of which were added last year to a stretch of road under 5 miles long. Region 5 loves posting them before intersections (something strictly forbidden by the state supplement to the MUTCD) and not following up with a 55.

[Dr Frankenstein]

Vermont clearly signs a default speed limit of 50 mph at its borders.

[Roadrunner75]

NJ is, (unless otherwise signed):

25 mph when passing through a school zone during recess, when the presence of children is clearly visible from the roadway, or while children are going to or leaving school, during opening or closing hours;

25 mph in any business or residential district;

35 mph in any suburban business or residential district

50 mph in all other locations, except as otherwise provided in the 65 MPH Speed Limit Implementation Act

In reality, it's extremely rare to find a road without a speed limit not in a residental or city environment. I can only think of 1 road that doesn't have a signed speed limit.

New Jersey used to post the 25/50 defaults on or next to its Welcome signs when entering the state.  I definitely remember a sign like this coming off the Walt Whitman into NJ, but a quick Google Street View scan shows these signs are long gone, at least for the south Jersey bridge crossings...

[1995hoo]

As others have said, it varies by state and states approach these sorts of things differently. Virginia has a statute (Va Code 46.2-870) titled "Maximum speed limits generally," but that section is followed by a series of other provisions including, but not limited to, "Maximum speed limits at school crossings; penalty" (46.2-873); "Maximum speed limit on nonsurface-treated highways" (46.2-873.1); "Maximum speed limit on rural rustic roads" (46.2-873.2); "Maximum speed limit in business and residence districts" (46.2-874); "Exceptions to maximum speed limits in residence districts; penalty" (46.2-874.1); "Maximum speed limit on certain other highways in cities and towns" (46.2-875); and various others.

The "generally" statute (46.2-870) applies a default speed limit of 55 mph to "interstate highways or other limited access highways with divided roadways, nonlimited access highways having four or more lanes, and all state primary highways"; on other highways, the default speed limit depends on the type of vehicle (either 55 or 45). Then there is a paragraph allowing speed limits of up to 70 mph on certain highways following traffic and engineering studies and up to 60 mph on certain specified segments of certain highways, again following traffic and engineering studies. In other words, 55 mph is the default speed limit on the main roads because a higher speed limit is never automatic under Virginia law.

Other default speed limits (all of which may be increased or decreased, though often a traffic and engineering study is required):

• School buses–posted speed limit applies except buses are limited to either 45 mph or the posted minimum speed if the speed limit is 55 mph or less, or 60 mph if the speed limit is higher than 55 mph
• School zones–25 mph and the statute applies restrictions on the times during which the school zone speed limit may apply
• Dirt and gravel roads "that have not been stabilized with a bituminous or cementitious material"–35 mph
• Rural rustic roads (designated pursuant to statute)–35 mph unless a different limit was in effect on a given road on 1 July 2008, in which case it still applies
• Business and residence districts–25 mph "except on interstate or other limited access highways with divided roadways or nonlimited access highways having four or more lanes and all state primary highways"; the latter two categories' speed limit "shall remain as indicated by signs posted prior to July 1, 2005, unless changed as provided by law."
• Exception to residence districts–certain cities and towns specified by statute may post a default speed limit of either 20 mph or 15 mph in residence districts
• "Certain other highways in cities and towns"–35 mph "except on interstate or other limited access highways with divided roadways and in business or residence districts."

Minimum speed limits: "No person shall drive a motor vehicle at such a slow speed as to impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic except when reduced speed is necessary for safe operation or in compliance with law." The statute allows the posting of a numeric minimum, but I've never seen such posted anywhere in Virginia.

[jeffandnicole]

NJ is, (unless otherwise signed):

25 mph when passing through a school zone during recess, when the presence of children is clearly visible from the roadway, or while children are going to or leaving school, during opening or closing hours;

25 mph in any business or residential district;

35 mph in any suburban business or residential district

50 mph in all other locations, except as otherwise provided in the 65 MPH Speed Limit Implementation Act

In reality, it's extremely rare to find a road without a speed limit not in a residental or city environment. I can only think of 1 road that doesn't have a signed speed limit.

New Jersey used to post the 25/50 defaults on or next to its Welcome signs when entering the state.  I definitely remember a sign like this coming off the Walt Whitman into NJ, but a quick Google Street View scan shows these signs are long gone, at least for the south Jersey bridge crossings...

Yep, that sign used to sit in this patch of grass, which is where traffic from 130 merges into 76 East.  Those signs are extremely rare to find now.

[roadman65]

US 9W had one on the left side of the road right where the old  alignment of US 9W continues straight while then present alignment veers to the right.  I have a photo of it and its 25 in urban/ 50 in rural or as posted.

https://www.google.com/maps/@41.000429,-73.911686,3a,75y,270h,90t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1swnjTEbsYDpKdkPhzUBLF8w!2e0 It has since been moved but GSV shows it at its new location.

[Jardine]

300,000 kilometers per second, everywhere.


And it's strictly enforced.

[jakeroot]

300,000 kilometers per second, everywhere.


And it's strictly enforced.

Touché.

[J Route Z]

NJ is, (unless otherwise signed):

25 mph when passing through a school zone during recess, when the presence of children is clearly visible from the roadway, or while children are going to or leaving school, during opening or closing hours;

25 mph in any business or residential district;

35 mph in any suburban business or residential district

50 mph in all other locations, except as otherwise provided in the 65 MPH Speed Limit Implementation Act

In reality, it's extremely rare to find a road without a speed limit not in a residental or city environment. I can only think of 1 road that doesn't have a signed speed limit.

I wonder if you were thinking Wemrock Road in Freehold, NJ, between CR 522 and Route 33 (http://goo.gl/maps/Pcd4w). There it is not signed, but upon crossing the Route 33 bridge, there is a sign that says "Reduced Speed Ahead" (http://goo.gl/maps/mmDTR), which then you enter a 35 zone, then going onto Stillwells Corner Road (http://goo.gl/maps/Iz4BI). However, before this, there are no signs. I called up Freehold Township to see if they can put them up, but they don't want to. I needed to write a formal letter to the police department.

[doorknob60]

In Oregon:

15 MPH: Alleys, narrow residential areas (ambiguous?)
20 MPH: In any business district, within a school zone
25 MPH: In residential districts, In public parks, On ocean shores (if permitted)
55 MPH: On all other roads/highways not meeting any other definition
65 MPH: Rural interstates (not sure if this is a "default" legally; interstate speed limits are well posted)

Source: http://www.odot.state.or.us/forms/dmv/37.pdf (page 34; PDF page 42)

[algorerhythms]

300,000 kilometers per second, everywhere.


And it's strictly enforced.

Some neutrinos occasionally claim to have exceeded the limit, but it's usually experimental error. Make sure your fiber couplers are securely fastened!

[cl94]

300,000 kilometers per second, everywhere.


And it's strictly enforced.

Some neutrinos occasionally claim to have exceeded the limit, but it's usually experimental error. Make sure your fiber couplers are securely fastened!

Theoretically, it is possible to travel faster than the speed of light, but I'll let the physicists explain that one

[algorerhythms]

Theoretically, or "theoretically"? Every experiment I've seen where someone claims to observe a particle moving faster than light has later been shown to be experimental error.

[cl94]

Theoretically, or "theoretically"? Every experiment I've seen where someone claims to observe a particle moving faster than light has later been shown to be experimental error.

It's serious. Miguel Alcubierre theorized that a "warp bubble" could be created, but that is far beyond the scope of this forum.

[algorerhythms]

I have a very hard time putting any faith in a theory whose creator admits it can't be tested "for centuries if at all".

[DrSmith]

Unless it's changed in more recent years, there are many county roads in Salem County in NJ that have no posted speed limits.