Q: When a freeway has an exit-only lane leading up to an offramp, what’s the speed limit in the exit lane? If the speed limit on the freeway is 60 mph, what speed should one drive in the exit-only lane?
A: Allow me to begin with a reminder that when the posted speed limit is 60 mph, that’s the maximum speed allowed by law. Even though every driver knows that, we often tend to drive as if the maximum speed is actually the required speed.
Instead, Washington’s law on speeding begins with the basic rule. It goes like this: “No person shall drive a vehicle on a highway at a speed greater than is reasonable and prudent under the conditions and having regard to the actual and potential hazards then existing.” If I lost you there, I’ll paraphrase. Drive at speed that’s safe for the situation, keeping in mind all the ways things could go wrong.
The speed limit part of the law comes next. Essentially, it says that there are some speeds that we know are not reasonable and prudent for a given type of road, so we’re setting a top end limit. The defaults in the law are 25 mph for city streets, 50 mph on county roads, and 60 mph on state highways.
As you read that, you probably thought of at least one road that doesn’t match those numbers. Not all roads are equal. A county road might be flat, wide, and straight with great visibility, or it might be steep, narrow and winding. A city street may need to change from 25 mph to 20 mph as it goes through a downtown district or a park with heavy pedestrian traffic. The law recognizes that the default settings won’t work on all roads and allows for adjustments, both faster and slower, to fit the road and surrounding environment.
Following that, we get to the part of the speed law that should answer your question. The posted speed limit on the freeway includes the exit-only lane. However, the last paragraph of the law lists some situations where drivers shall drive at an “appropriate reduced speed.” A couple things here: In the law, “shall” means it’s not an option – it’s required. And “appropriate” here means your speed should be consistent with the first part of the law, which you’ll remember means driving at a rate that is safe for the circumstances.
Now, the list. Drive at an appropriate reduced speed at intersections, railway crossings, curves, narrow or winding roadways, and when special hazards exist. That includes pedestrians, cyclists, weather, and road conditions.
A freeway exit probably means an upcoming curved offramp, along with other road conditions that may change as you transition from the freeway to the offramp. Offramps typically have an advisory speed posted on a yellow sign to let you know that you’ll need to slow down to a safe speed. Maybe you’ve heard that advisory speeds can’t be enforced. That’s true in a sense. However, if you disregard the advisory speed and end up crashing, you would have violated the first part of the speed law, because you didn’t choose a “reasonable and prudent” speed.
Considering all of that, the correct speed in an exit only lane, well, it depends. You’ll want to take into account the speed of the vehicles on the freeway, as slowing down too much too soon could cause a conflict before you reach the exit, as well as anticipate the changing conditions of the off-ramp. There isn’t a fixed number, but attentive driving and your good judgement should get you there.
If you have a traffic related question you would like to ask, click here.