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When you drive down any street, one of the most important things you need to keep in mind is how fast you’re going, as a fast, reckless driver can cause tremendous harm to others and themself. You also need to abide by the law, and thankfully, you can keep track of how fast you should be going by observing the speed limit signs that pop up along the street. These are white, rectangular signs that boldly say the words “Speed Limit” with a large numerical value underneath it to indicate the maximum speed you can drive in miles per hour. You may also see these signs posted within a yellow diamond with an arrow pointing forward, indicating a speed limit change ahead.
These are not the only speed indicators you see on the street though. Sometimes, you will come in contact with a yellow road sign with an mph number on it. These can be square in shape, or they can be diamonds that also feature arrows or other symbols on them. These types of signs are called speed advisory signs. Rather than telling you the maximum speed you can drive on a particular road, these signs are there to give you a recommended speed for a particular stretch of road.
They will always be lower number values than the white speed limit signs around them, because driving slower on a trickier path is always the safer option. You may drive faster than the number on a speed advisory sign, but you’re putting your own safety at risk. In terms of the law, there are also important distinctions made between speed limit and speed advisory signs.
Can you get a ticket for exceeding the advisory speed?
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When it comes to speed limit signs, there’s no ambiguity. If you’re caught exceeding the posted speed limit by police, they’ll pull you over and give you a ticket, unless you get lucky and are sent off with a warning. It’s simply against the law. With speed advisory signs, there’s a bit more leeway when it comes to exceeding those posted speeds.
If you’re in a zone with a 50 mph speed limit and are approaching a curve with a 30 mph advisory sign, you probably won’t get a ticket if you’re seen driving somewhere between 30 and 50 mph. These advisory signs exist to help drivers but are not necessarily legal markers. However, that doesn’t mean you can just blow through these advisory signs without a care because there’s still something known as the basic speed law.
These laws vary state to state in their specifics, but essentially, this law states that a driver should not drive faster than is reasonable for a given situation. That means drivers need to take into consideration things like road condition, upcoming curves or hills, and weather, and drive the appropriate speed considering those factors. A cop may not give you a ticket for going 45 mph around a curve with a 30 mph speed advisory sign, but they could give you a ticket for violating the basic speed law, as you’re driving unreasonably fast through a section of road with an increased level of danger. You need to practice the same caution in these situations as you would when you haven’t seen an actual speed limit sign. There’s legal wiggle room, but it’s best to adhere to speed advisory signs.