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Speed limits: Pennsylvania PennDOT written test practice

10 free practice questions on speed limits for the Pennsylvania PennDOT written knowledge test, each with the correct answer and a short explanation. Study them here, then check yourself in the interactive quiz or the exam simulator.

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1. Unless otherwise specified, the speed limit in a residential or commercial area is:

  1. 15 mph
  2. ✓ 25 mph
  3. 35 mph
  4. 45 mph

Why: 25 mph is the standard default speed limit for residential and commercial areas, unless otherwise indicated by a sign.

2. What is the typical maximum speed limit on Pennsylvania's interstates and limited-access highways?

  1. 55 mph everywhere
  2. ✓ 65 mph, though some rural interstate and turnpike sections are posted at 70 mph
  3. 75 mph statewide
  4. There is no posted maximum; drivers set a safe speed

Why: Most Pennsylvania interstates are posted at 65 mph, but PennDOT has raised the limit to 70 mph on select rural stretches of interstate and the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

3. On a two-lane highway with no median and no posted speed limit, the default speed limit is:

  1. 45 mph
  2. ✓ 55 mph
  3. 65 mph
  4. There is no limit

Why: 55 mph is the default speed limit for two-lane undivided highways.

4. What can a driver expect if convicted of driving 100 mph or more, regardless of the posted speed limit?

  1. A verbal warning only, since no property was damaged
  2. ✓ A significant fine and the possibility of license suspension, on top of the standard speeding penalty
  3. No extra penalty as long as traffic was light
  4. A mandatory one-day jail sentence only

Why: Driving at extreme speeds such as 100 mph or more is treated as a serious safety violation almost everywhere, typically bringing a steep fine and putting the driver's license at risk of suspension.

5. The “Basic Speed Law” means that you must drive slower than the posted speed limit when:

  1. You're running late
  2. ✓ Weather, traffic, or road conditions make the specified speed limit unsafe
  3. A police officer happened to be nearby
  4. This rule never applies—the specified limit is always safe

Why: The fundamental rule regarding speed requires drivers to travel at a speed that is safe for the current conditions, even if it is below the posted limit.

6. Within 500 feet of a school where children are crossing the street, the speed limit is usually:

  1. 15 mph
  2. ✓ 25 mph
  3. 35 mph
  4. 45 mph

Why: Within a 500-foot school zone, the speed limit is usually 25 mph (in certain active zones, it is 15 mph, as indicated by a separate sign).

7. Unless otherwise specified, the speed limit in an alley is:

  1. 10 mph
  2. ✓ 15 mph
  3. 25 mph
  4. 35 mph

Why: In alleys, the standard default speed limit is 15 mph.

8. At a blind intersection without signs, the speed limit is:

  1. 10 mph
  2. ✓ 15 mph
  3. 25 mph
  4. 35 mph

Why: At an intersection with limited visibility and no signs, the speed limit is 15 mph.

9. When approaching a railroad crossing with limited visibility, you must reduce your speed to 15 mph within:

  1. 50 feet
  2. ✓ 100 feet
  3. 200 feet
  4. 500 feet

Why: Within 100 feet of such a railroad crossing, the speed limit is 15 mph.

10. When passing a school bus that is stopped in a designated “safety zone” with its warning lights on, you must reduce your speed to:

  1. 5 mph
  2. ✓ 10 mph
  3. 15 mph
  4. 25 mph

Why: The speed limit near the designated safety zone by the bus is 10 mph.

About the Pennsylvania written test

18questions on the real test
15/18correct answers to pass (83%)
Next business dayyou may retest

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