What factors and circumstances should be taken into account when choosing a safe speed for the prevailing road conditions?
Show the correct answer
Correct answer
B. Type of surface and the prevailing road conditions.
Explanation
In the photo you are leaving a town - on the left there is sign D-43 "end of built-up area" - and in front of you there is a road covered with snow, in fog, with limited visibility. When choosing a safe speed, you must pay attention to the type of road surface and the conditions on the road - answer B. Prohibition signs alone (A) or the speed of other drivers (C) are not enough.
The Road Traffic Act requires you to drive at a speed that keeps the vehicle under control, taking into account the conditions in which traffic takes place, in particular the shape of the terrain, the condition and visibility of the road, the condition and load of the vehicle, the weather conditions and the traffic volume. The limit from a sign or from the Act is the upper limit, not a recommendation: beyond sign D-43 on such a road you may drive at 90 km/h, but on a snowy roadway in fog such a speed means a braking distance several times longer than on dry asphalt and no time to react when an obstacle appears out of the fog. Do not go by what other drivers do either - a driver who overtakes you may overestimate his skills. You drive so that you can stop within the distance you can see.
Legal basis: Art. 19 para. 1 and Art. 20 para. 3 point 1 letter d of the Road Traffic Act (Prawo o ruchu drogowym)