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Exceeding the speed limit is a common contributing factor of fatal and other types of accidents. A motorist must always obey the speed limit. Speed affects almost everything that can happen when driving. A good rule is to keep up with the flow of traffic at any legal speed. In order to make safe emergency stops when necessary, it is important to keep enough distance from surrounding traffic. New Jersey law sets top speed limits for any given road, street, highway or freeway.

Never drive faster than weather, road or other conditions safely allow, regardless of the posted speed limit. A motorist should judge his/her speed control by existing conditions. A motorist should slow down enough to be able to see clearly and stop quickly in traffic. Failure to do so can result in a moving violation.

Motorists pay double fines for exceeding the 65 mph limit by 10 mph or more. Double fines also apply to most other moving violations committed in a 65 mph zone. (N.J.S.A 39:4-98.6)

Always slow down:

• On narrow or winding roads
• At intersections or railroad crossings
• On hills
• At sharp or blind curves
• Where there are pedestrians or driving hazards
• When the road is wet or slippery

 

25 mph - School zones, business or residential districts
35 mph – Suburban business and residential districts
50 mph – Non-posted rural roadways
55 mph – Certain state and interstate highways, as posted
65 mph – Certain interstate highways, as posted


A motorist should always try to keep up with the normal flow of traffic, while not exceeding the posted speed limit. Some collisions are caused by driving too slowly and backing up traffic. When road surfaces and traffic are normal, New Jersey law prohibits blocking traffic through slow driving.

If vehicle problems prevent a motorist from keeping up with the normal flow of traffic, he/she should pull off the road and activate hazard lights.

 

In an effort to improve highway safety, New Jersey initiated the Safe Corridors Program, which was signed into law in July 2003. The Safe Corridors law doubles fines on various state highways for a variety of driving offenses, including speeding and aggressive driving. Highways are designated as safe based on statistics showing crash rates 50 percent over the state rate and 1,000 or more crashes reported over a three-year period. The Commissioner of Transportation has the authority to designate highways as necessary, as well as to remove those that show improved safety levels. The law took effect on February 15, 2004. A current list of Safe Corridor highways is available on the New Jersey Department of Transportation Web site at www.nj.gov/transportation.