There is no speed sign on a paved section of the Trans-Canada Highway. What is the speed limit?
NL Class 5 overview
NL Class 5: Speed limits and following distance
Default speed limits when no sign is posted, school zone speeds, stopping, reaction and braking distance, the danger zone and the three-second rule.
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Study reference: Newfoundland and Labrador Driver's Handbook (2025 edition), Ch. 4 Rules of the Road — Following distance, Speed, Danger zones, Stopping distance, pp. 32–33, 113–117
All 18 questions in this test
Every question and its answer choices. The correct answers and explanations appear when you take the test above.
There is no speed sign on a paved section of the Trans-Canada Highway. What is the speed limit?
- 100 km/h
- 110 km/h
- 80 km/h
- 90 km/h
The road is slippery. What should you do to your normal following distance?
- Reduce it by half
- Double it
- Add one car length
- Keep it the same
What two parts make up total stopping distance?
- Speed and road width
- Following distance and braking distance
- Reaction time and tire grip
- Reaction distance and braking distance
What is the minimum safe following distance for a passenger vehicle, in vehicle lengths?
- Two lengths at any speed
- One length for every 10 km/h
- One length for every 15 km/h
- One length for every 30 km/h
Most rear-end collisions happen under what conditions?
- Icy roads
- Dense fog
- Ideal driving and road conditions
- Heavy snow and very poor visibility
Using the three-second rule, you reach the checkpoint two seconds after the car ahead. What does that mean?
- You are following too closely
- You are too far back
- You can safely speed up
- Your distance is ideal
A digital school-zone speed sign shows a second flashing warning. What triggers it?
- Driving more than 20 km/h over the posted limit
- Driving more than 10 km/h over the limit
- Children on the crosswalk
- Any speed over the limit
If you double your speed, what happens to your braking distance?
- It becomes four times longer
- It doubles
- It becomes three times longer
- It stays the same
School zone speed limits in the province vary within what range?
- 30 to 50 km/h
- 10 to 30 km/h
- 40 to 60 km/h
- 20 to 40 km/h
What is the speed limit through a community when no sign is posted?
- 60 km/h
- 50 km/h
- 30 km/h
- 40 km/h
About how far does a car at 30 km/h travel from seeing a hazard to a full stop?
- About 10 metres
- About 40 metres
- About 20 metres
- About 5 metres
You see children playing near the road ahead. What should you do with your right foot?
- Rest it on the floor
- Pump the brakes hard
- Press the accelerator
- Cover the brake pedal
What is the average reaction time for an alert driver?
- About three quarters of a second
- About two seconds
- About one quarter of a second
- About three seconds
Is a three-second gap enough to stop your car at highway speed?
- No, it gives time to react, not stop
- Yes, if you have ABS
- Only on dry gravel roads at low speed
- Yes, in any weather
What is the speed limit on a paved highway other than the Trans-Canada when no sign is posted?
- 60 km/h
- 100 km/h
- 90 km/h
- 80 km/h
You are driving on an unposted gravel road. What is the speed limit?
- 80 km/h
- 60 km/h
- 50 km/h
- 70 km/h
What is the speed limit in a school zone that has no speed sign?
- 50 km/h
- 60 km/h
- 30 km/h
- 40 km/h
An alert driver at 60 km/h in good conditions sees a moose. About how far does the car travel before braking begins?
- About 3 metres
- About 12 metres
- About 40 metres
- About 20 metres
Speed limits and following distance: key rules to remember
Our summary of what the official handbook says on this topic, in our own words. Read it before or after the practice questions above, then check the original chapter. Read the official chapter ↗
Speeding / stopping distance
- Speeding is a form of aggressive driving; crash risk rises with every km/h over the limit.
- Stopping distance = reaction distance + braking distance.
- Alert driver at 60 km/h, good conditions: reaction about 3/4 second (about 12 m) + about 20 m braking.
- Double the speed: reaction distance doubles; braking distance quadruples. Triple speed: braking distance x9.
Speed limits
- Speed limit = maximum legal limit under ideal conditions; limits typically 30 to 100 km/h.
- No posted sign: 100 km/h paved Trans-Canada Highway; 80 km/h other paved highways; 60 km/h gravel roads; 50 km/h through communities; 50 km/h in unmarked school zones.
- School zone limits 30 to 50 km/h depending on location; often apply 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on school days.
- Digital school-zone speed signs: show your speed and a slow-down message; a second flashing message if more than 10 km/h over.
- Slow down for weather, ice, heavy traffic, pedestrian areas.
Following distance
- Nearly two-thirds of rear-end collisions happen in ideal conditions; the following driver is usually held responsible.
- Minimum for passenger vehicles: at least one vehicle length per 15 km/h; double it on slippery roads.
- Commercial vehicles outside the city: at least 150 m.
- Three-second rule: count from when the vehicle ahead passes a fixed point; under 3 s = too close. 3 s is for ideal conditions; increase otherwise. At highway speed 3 s lets you react, not stop.
- Don't assume the vehicle ahead will go through an amber light.
Speed
- Driving too slowly is also a hazard (frustration, tailgating, unsafe passing).
- In fog or at night drive at a speed that lets you stop within your headlights/vision.
Danger zone, reaction, braking
- Danger zone = road travelled before you can stop; grows with speed and poor conditions.
- Cover the brake when you see a potential hazard.
- Average alert driver reaction time about 3/4 second; at about 50 km/h you travel 10 m (about two car lengths) before braking.
- At about 30 km/h braking distance about 10 m; total stopping about 20 m (five car lengths).
- Braking distance depends on speed, brakes, tires, road surface, slope.
Study the Speed limits and following distance rules as flashcards →
Other topics
- Sign shapes and regulatory signsWhat each sign shape and colour means, the stop, yield, crossbuck and school signs, red-slash and green-circle signs, speed, turn, parking, one-way, keep-right and accessible parking signs.
- Warning signsYellow diamond warning signs for curves, hills, bumps, merges, lane endings, narrow bridges, divided highways, railway crossings, moose and falling rocks, plus the slow-moving vehicle sign and weather hazard signs.
- Construction zone signsOrange road construction signs, flag persons, survey and maintenance crews, doubled fines, hazard markers, over-dimensional load signs and zipper merge signs.
- Traffic lights and pedestrian signalsSolid and flashing lights, green arrows, right turns on red, police directions, walk and don't walk signals, and pedestrians who are blind or partially sighted.
- Pavement markingsStop lines and crosswalks, yellow and white lane lines, solid and broken lines for passing, lane arrows, painted islands and shared left-turn lanes.
- Licensing and graduated licensingWho can apply, the written test and 85% pass mark, Class 5I learner and Class 5II novice conditions, the novice driver sign, parental consent, road test timing, renewals and licence changes.
- Registration, insurance and vehicle equipmentRegistering, insuring and transferring a vehicle, penalties for driving uninsured, and the lights, tires, brakes, mirrors and windows the law requires.
- Seatbelts, distraction and fatigueSeatbelts and child car seats, trip planning, aggressive driving, cell phones and other distractions, driver fatigue, fitness to drive and fuel-efficient habits.
- Impaired drivingBlood alcohol limits for learners, novices and full licence holders, what raises BAC, drugs and cannabis, roadside suspensions, Criminal Code penalties, ignition interlock and education programs.
- Demerit points and suspensionsHow demerit points work, the 12-point and 6-point limits, high-risk speeding and stunting suspensions, the driving record, and courses that remove points or are needed for reinstatement.
- Right-of-way and intersectionsUncontrolled intersections, left turns, side roads and driveways, four-way stops, traffic lights that are out, passing-lane merges and yielding to emergency vehicles.
- Turns and roundaboutsLane choice for right and left turns on one-way and two-way streets, double left-turn lanes, two-point, three-point and U-turns, and how to enter, drive and exit a roundabout.
- Passing, lane changes and highwaysSafe passing and where it is not allowed, signalling, lane changes and blind spots, entering and leaving divided highways, cloverleafs, weave lanes, zipper merges, added lanes and shared left-turn lanes.
- Parking and backing upBacking safely, where you may not park and the distances from stop signs, crosswalks, hydrants, bus stops and railway crossings, parking on hills, parallel and angle parking.
- Sharing the roadVulnerable road users, the one-metre rule for cyclists and pedestrians, dooring, construction workers, school buses, emergency vehicles and the slow down, move over law.
- Night driving and bad weatherWhen headlights are required, dimming high beams, glare, overdriving your headlights, rain and hydroplaning, fog, ice, black ice, snow, winter skids and slow driving.
- Emergencies, collisions and mooseEmergency braking with and without ABS, skids, leaving the pavement, collisions and when to report them, avoiding head-on crashes, vehicles in water, breakdowns, equipment failures and moose on the road.