MinKörkort

Chapter 1 · Lesson 3

Speed — limits and adapting

After this lesson, you can

  • state the two defaults: 50 in a built-up area, 70 outside
  • treat every posted number as a maximum and adapt below it
  • name what you must adapt to: sight, surface, traffic, weather, load and the car itself
  • slow early enough that the driver behind is not surprised

1. Two defaults, then the sign takes over

Where no speed sign stands, Sweden fills in the number. Inside a built-up area (E5) the default is 50 km/h. Outside it (E6, or never having entered E5) the default is 70 km/h. A numbered C31 sign replaces the default from that sign onward, until another speed sign, an end-of-limit sign, or a new default takes over. 30 and 40 zones near housing and schools are local decisions. They are not optional.

50Inside E5Built-up default until a C31 (or a 30/40 zone) replaces it.
70Outside E5Rural default from E6, unless a numbered sign says 80, 90, 100 or 110.
C31Posted maximumA ceiling, not a target. It lasts until the next speed sign, an end sign, or a new default.
E5 — Built-up areaE5Built-up areaE6 — Built-up area endsE6Built-up area endsC31 — Speed limitC31Speed limitC32 — Temporary speed limit endsC32Temporary speed limit ends
E5 starts built-up (default 50). E6 ends it (default 70). C31 is a maximum. C32 ends a temporary limit — then the previous rule returns.

2. What adapting looks like

Adapting means you can stop for what you can reasonably foresee. A1 warns of a bend, A10 of a slippery road — both tell you the posted number may already be too high. Slow before the bend, not in it. In fog, heavy rain, or darkness past parked cars: come off the gas early, then use the brake. A long, early slowing is safer than one hard stamp.

A1 — Dangerous curveA1Dangerous curveA10 — Slippery roadA10Slippery roadA13 — Pedestrian crossing aheadA13Pedestrian crossing aheadB3 — Pedestrian crossingB3Pedestrian crossingA15 — ChildrenA15ChildrenA22 — Traffic signals aheadA22Traffic signals ahead
A1 bend, A10 slippery, A13 crossing ahead, B3 the crossing itself, A15 children, A22 signals. Each one is a reason the posted number may already be too high.
Rule of thumb (dry road, about 1 s reaction)50 km/h15 m25 mstop ≈ 40 m90 km/h27 m81 mstop ≈ 108 m — almost three times farther than at 50 km/hReaction ≈ speed ÷ 10 × 3 mBraking ≈ (speed ÷ 10)² mDouble the speed → about four times the braking distance. Wet or ice stretches the orange bar.
Stopping distance is reaction plus braking. Double the speed and braking distance is roughly four times as long.
  • You must keep a speed that lets you stay in control and stop on the stretch of road you can see, and before any obstacle you can foresee.
  • Places that almost always need a lower speed: built-up areas, pedestrian crossings, junctions, sharp bends, crests, glare, narrow meetings, ice, children beside the road, a stopped bus or tram, animals on the road, roadworks, and an accident scene.
  • If you need to slow a lot, start early so the driver behind has time to react. Needlessly crawling without a reason can itself be a disturbance.

Example

Posted 100, thick fog, forty metres of sight

The sign says 100. Fog cuts your view to about forty metres. The car behind sits close. A passenger says 100 is fine because it is signed.

Answer: Drop to a speed you can stop from inside those forty metres, and let the tailgater pass at the first safe place.

The sign is a ceiling for good conditions. In fog, safety is limited by what you can see. The tailgater does not raise your limit. It is a second reason to create space.

E5 area, no speed sign, dry and empty at noon. What applies?

Pick one answer to see why.

You pass E6. No speed sign after it. What is the default now?

Pick one answer to see why.

3. Common mistakes

  • The sign says my speed.The sign says the maximum. Conditions say the speed.
  • Outside town it is always 70.70 is the default where nothing else is posted. A numbered sign replaces it.
  • Slow is always safe.Needlessly slow without warning surprises the driver behind. Slow early, keep a gap, and do not crawl without a reason.
  • In fog, keep up with traffic.In fog, keep a speed you can stop from inside your sight. Let the queue go.

Official source: Transportstyrelsen — Hastighet

Official source: Trafikförordningen (1998:1276) 3 kap. 14, 17 §§

Sign artwork: public domain (Transportstyrelsen). Lesson text is a MinKörkort study draft — not the official legal wording.