Okay...this is what I learned in Driving School, circa 1983. When approaching a speed zone while in a 55mph zone, you have until the SECOND reduced speed sign to get to the new speed. For instance...I'm driving in a 55mph zone. I see a sign that says Reduced Speed Ahead or Speed Zone Ahead. Then I see 45mph, then I see a second sign that says 45mph. Was I taught wrong or do I have until the second 45mph sign to get to 45 miles per hour from 55?

In case this law varies from state to state, I'm in NY.

Would love to know your answers...

Kris

you get a 2nd sign? And a warning sign? crikey, around here we just have the speed signs 55...45...25.. no warning and sometimes you can go blocks without seeing another one.

I took drivers ed in the summer of 1982 between my junior & senior year. I don't remember what the exact rules, but I always begin to slow down when it says reduced speed ahead.

The rule I want to know about is if merging onto a interstate highway has changed from merge means stop if neccesary to drive like **** and cut the person on the highway off!!

Beats me TECH ~ I drive the freeways between San Diego and Los Angeles California.....not sure if I have hit 55 or even 45 in the last few years with all the traffic and construction going on!

I'll ask my nephew...he starts drives ed behind the wheel Tuesday. I haven't taken a test written or driving since 1970 ~~~ YES! they had cars then.

I don't think we have those down here. What we were taught was that by the time your car is even with that speed limit sign, you'd better be going that speed. (The reverse of this is: if you see a sign that says 55 when you're still in a 45, you better not speed up before you hit that 55 sign.) It hasn't been that long ago that the police in Kirby were given a quota of speeding tickets to write, and there are still a lot of little towns hereabouts that are known as speed traps. (Any old country music fans who remember Steve Earle's lone hit--Selma is indeed one of those speed traps.)

NY must have frequent speed limit signs because anywhere I have driven frequently always had very few speed limit signs and usually no warning signs for reduced speed. I've always been taught that if a speed limit sign is posted, then that is the speed you need to be going. The last ticket I got was from going about 80 in a 55 zone but it had been a 70 zone and I crossed the 55 zone sign, and a cop pulled up immediately behind me and gave me a ticket. There was no "reduced speed" ahead sign, probably because I was crossing a state line (I'm guessing). Obvious speed trap but it was easier to pay than to fight it.

I don't know what the rules are but DH got a speeding ticket for not reducing his speed before he got to the reduced speed limit. There was no second sign. When he saw the reduced speed limit sign he starting slowing down but wasn't to 45 when he got to the sign which is BS...thank god the ticket wasn't much. I thought he should have fought it because NO ONE even slows down at this praticular section on the highway.

I have never seen a "reduced speed ahead" sign in California. We saw a few while traveling in Oregon and Washington this year. IMO, you are "warned" with the "reduced speed ahead" sign, but don't need to slow down until you get to the sign with the new posted speed limit. I've never seen a second speed limit sign, so I doubt that the idea that you have until you get to the second sign is correct.

I am always a little confused on what the exact driving laws are because it seems that no matter what state you are in it depends on the cop that has pulled you over. I will tell you what will alleviate speed traps is a TomTom. I learned that in England the TomTom GPS unit has speed traps built into their programs so they warn you as you are approaching one. I hope that this feature moves to the US tomtom systems. Man that would be nice. The one doesnt have it, maybe the next unit to be released will (fingers crossed)

Well I took D.E. in 1981, and the rule then was, you go the posted speed when it's posted. Not after. Warning signs are nice, also keeps people from slamming on the breaks and causing accidents by trying to reduce their speed immediately upon seeing a newly posted limit. But they're not required. You should be able to see a speed limit sign before you get to it and break, whether slow or fast, to get down to the posted limit. That's what they expect. Now what someone mentioned about their husband not having reduced their speed down by the time they reached the sign, because of the expectation that you do the posted limit when you reach it, there would have been no basis for fighting it. Whatever everyone else does at that spot would be beside the point. It's what he was doing when he was stopped that counts. Even speed traps...if you can see the sign ahead, and you don't get the speed down in time, it's not really a trap. If you cannot see the sign until you get to it (curve, crest of the hill, whatever), then it could be fought.

Even cops in different parts of the state differ....DH and I were traveling in Northern California and got pulled over doing 70 in a 70 zone. Turns out since we were in our RV and pulling our Jeep that we couldn't go the posted speed limit. Try that in Southern California--if we kept to the 55 for towing we'd probably get pulled over for going too slow!