Adjust Speen when Weather Conditions Require It…

If we’re doing our jobs as safe drivers, then we should always be aware of the current speed limit when we’re driving and we should be ensuring that we don’t exceed that speed by much, if at all. However, every driver should be aware that just because that’s the limit, it doesn’t mean it’s a requirement to drive that fast at all times. In fact, there are plenty of scenarios when your driving speed should be adjusted based on any number of factors in order to ensure that the risk of a serious accident is as low as possible.

Some of the basic situations in which you’ll want to reduce your speed for safety reasons include inclement weather. Heavy precipitation, icy roads or dense fog should always lead to a lower driving speed. There’s no magic number regarding how much slower you should be driving, it’s something that as an experienced driver you’ll need to gauge for yourself based on the specific conditions at the time. Nighttime driving is another period when driving below the posted speed limit may be advisable in order to maintain the highest level of safety.

While lowering your driving speed is the most common type of adjustment that you need to make when you’re behind the wheel, there are also certain instances when driving slightly faster than you typically would is appropriate. Staying with the “flow of traffic” during congested driving sometimes means you may have to increase your speed. Passing is another time when driving faster, for a short period of time, may be required.