Speed and Safety

Speed Limits

When no speed limit is posted, Washington law sets these defaults:

• City and town streets: 25 mph
• County roads: 50 mph
• State highways, including interstates: 60 mph, with some freeway segments posted at 70
• School zones (when children are present or lights flash): 20 mph

A speed limit is the maximum under ideal conditions, not a suggestion and not a target. When conditions are poor you must drive slower. Driving below the limit is legal; exceeding it is not.

Speeding costs more than a ticket. The faster you go, the less your seat belt protects you, the less time you have to scan for hazards, the harder the car is to control, the longer it takes to stop, the less time you have to decide and react, and the worse the injuries if you crash.

Some highways also post a minimum speed. Driving slower than that makes you a hazard to others and is also a violation.

Adjusting Speed to Conditions

The "basic speed rule" requires you to drive at a speed that is safe and reasonable for conditions at all times. In rain, snow, fog, darkness, heavy traffic or on slippery roads, driving too fast is a violation even if you are under the posted limit.

Keep at least a 3 to 4 second following distance behind the vehicle ahead. Double it when the road is slippery.

If you hydroplane (tires skimming on water), ease off the gas, do not brake hard, and hold the wheel steady until the tires grip again.

Slow down in all of these situations, whatever the sign says:

• Sharp curves and hilltops where you cannot see far
• Roads made slippery by rain, snow or ice
• Areas with pedestrians, children, bicyclists or animals
• Shopping centers, parking lots and busy sidewalks
• Heavy congestion
• Narrow bridges and tunnels
• Residential streets

"Arriving late is better than not arriving at all." Speed remains one of the leading causes of serious crashes in Washington every year.

Following Distance and Space

Judging space is the hardest and most important skill for a new driver. Space around your car is time to react.

Following distance: the official guide asks for at least two vehicle lengths behind the car ahead. A more reliable method is to count seconds:

1. Watch the vehicle ahead pass a fixed marker such as a utility pole or sign.
2. Count "one thousand one, one thousand two, one thousand three."
3. If you reach the marker before you finish counting, you are following too closely.

Keep 3 to 4 seconds in normal conditions and 5 or more in rain or snow, at night, or behind a large truck or a motorcycle.

Look farther ahead: scan as far down the road as you can see, check both sides, and glance at your mirrors regularly. The earlier you spot a hazard, the more time you and everyone around you have to respond.

Judge time before you turn: when turning left across oncoming traffic, count how many seconds a car takes to travel from a roadside tree to the intersection, then use that to estimate the next car. Make sure you have time to complete the turn and reach traffic speed. Remember that oncoming traffic has the right-of-way; waiting longer is always the safer choice.

Keep space on all sides: avoid driving beside another vehicle for long, and leave room ahead, behind and to the sides so you have somewhere to go if something happens in front of you.

Seat Belts and Child Seats

Washington law requires everyone in the vehicle to wear a seat belt, including back-seat passengers. The driver is responsible for passengers under 16.

Child restraint rules:

• Under 2: must ride in a rear-facing car seat.
• Ages 2 to 4: must ride in a car seat with a harness, rear- or forward-facing.
• Age 4 and older but shorter than 4 feet 9 inches (about 145 cm): must use a booster seat.
• Under 13: must ride in the back seat whenever practical.

Wearing a belt correctly: the shoulder belt crosses the middle of your chest and collarbone, never behind your back or under your arm, and never across your neck or face. The lap belt sits snug across your hips and upper thighs, not your stomach. The belt must not be twisted.

Airbags work together with seat belts. If you are unbelted when an airbag deploys you risk serious injury or death, which is also why children under 13 should not ride in the front seat.

Child seats must meet federal safety standards and be installed according to the vehicle and seat instructions. Keep a child in each stage as long as the seat allows; do not move up early. Certified child passenger safety technicians in Washington will check your installation for free.