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Speed and Distance

Speed is the most important factor that influences the severity of an accident. Section 18 of Act 361/2000 Coll. establishes maximum permitted speeds and the obligation to adjust speed to conditions.

Every driver must drive at a speed at which they can stop within the distance they can see. This is called the safe speed.

Explanation

MAXIMUM PERMITTED SPEEDS (Section 18):

IN TOWN:

• general rule: 50 km/h, 80 km/h on highways and roads for motor vehicles in town
• Applies to ALL vehicles
• Maximum speed can be reduced or increased (by a maximum of 30) by local regulations (signs), for example, residential, pedestrian, or other zones, or standard maximum speed signs

OUTSIDE TOWN:

• Passenger car: 90 km/h
• Truck over 3.5 t: 80 km/h
• Bus: 90 km/h

ON HIGHWAY:

• Passenger car: 130 km/h
• Truck over 3.5 t: 80 km/h
• Motorcycle, bus: 130 km/h
• Minimum speed: 80 km/h (does not apply when driving uphill)

ON ROADS FOR MOTOR VEHICLES:

• Passenger car, bus, motorcycle: 110 km/h
• Truck: 80 km/h
• Minimum speed: 80 km/h (does not apply when driving uphill)

IMPORTANT: These speeds are MAXIMUMS. The driver must drive slower if conditions require it (rain, fog, heavy traffic, poor road conditions).

ADJUSTING SPEED TO CONDITIONS:

The driver MUST reduce speed:

• In rain, snow, ice, fog
• At night and in reduced visibility
• In heavy traffic
• On unpaved roads
• In sharp turns

The "safe speed" rule: You must drive so that you can stop within the distance you can see. If you can only see 30 meters in fog, you must drive slowly enough to stop within 30 meters.

Braking distance increases with the square of the speed:

• 50 km/h → braking distance approx. 25 m
• 100 km/h → braking distance approx. 100 m (4× longer!)
• 130 km/h → braking distance approx. 170 m
• on ice and snow, braking distance significantly increases, e.g., from 90 km/h it can be up to 233 m

Example

Example - speed in different situations:

1. You are driving in town on a wide straight road, no traffic. Max speed? 50 km/h (limit in town!)

2. You are driving outside town in heavy rain. The limit is 90 km/h. How fast are you going? Slower than 90! You adjust your speed - maybe 60-70 km/h.

3. On the highway, there is fog, visibility 50 m. The limit is 130 km/h. How fast? You must stop within 50 m, so max. about 50 km/h!

4. You are driving through a residential zone. Max 20 km/h.

Common mistakes

Common mistakes:

1. "On the highway, I must drive at least 130 km/h" - NO! 130 is the MAXIMUM. However, you cannot drive too slowly (minimum speed 80 km/h).

2. "Outside town, the limit is 90, so I drive 90 in the rain" - NO! You must adjust your speed to the conditions.

3. "In town, it is always 50" - NOT NECESSARILY. There can be zones of 30, residential zones of 20, or increased limits of 80.

4. "A truck can go 130 on the highway" - NO! A truck over 3.5 t max 80 km/h.

Explanation

Road Traffic Rules Speed limits 1. General speed Regulation (set by law) Applies unless modified by local or temporary signs. The driver must always adjust speed to: • their driving ability, • the characteristics and weight of the vehicle and its load, • the expected road condition (technical and structural), • the road category, • weather conditions, • and any other predictable circumstances. Key Duties • Stopping distance: The driver may drive only at a speed that allows them to stop within the distance they can see. • Design speed: The driver must not exceed the design speed of the vehicle. • No unnecessary slowing: The driver must not slow down traffic without reason, especially by unnecessarily slow driving. • No sudden braking: The driver must not brake sharply or stop suddenly unless required for safety. A. Maximum speed limits (legal defaults) B. Special general limits and duties Road Type / Zone Vehicles up to 3.5 t, emergency services, buses Other motor vehicles over 3.5 t Built-up area (IZ 4a) 50 km/h 50 km/h Highway / Motorway inside a built-up area 80 km/h 80 km/h Outside built-up area (standard road) 90 km/h 80 km/h Motorway outside built-up area (IZ 2a) 110 km/h 80 km/h Highway outside built-up area (IZ 1a) 130 km/h 80 km/h Situation Rule / Maximum speed Railway crossing – normal operation 30 km/h within 50 m before and while crossing Railway crossing – flashing white light 50 km/h within 50 m before and while crossing Towing another vehicle 60 km/h Using snow chains 50 km/h Personal transporters (Segway etc.) on sidewalks, footpaths, pedestrian zones speed of walking Towing another vehicle 60 km/h Driving with snow chains 50 km/h

Road Traffic Rules Speed limits 2. Permanent local Regulation (traffic signs, signals) Overrides general regulation. A. Changing the default limits Local signs may increase or decrease speed limits: • Increasing inside towns: by up to +30 km/h (max 80 km/h). • Increasing on Highways: by up to +20 km/h (max 150 km/h) Recommended speed Variable speed signals (S 12a / S 12b) show a recommended speed in km/h. B. Validity and end of limits Speed limit sign ends at the next intersection, unless it is ended earlier by: • a corresponding “End of speed limit” sign, • a new speed limit sign, • entering a City, Motorway, Highway, or another traffic zone,or by leaving these areas. (All of them begins and ends with signs) Zone signs (e.g.

How to remember it

Practical summary:

Speed – numbers you must know:

Maximum speeds:

• In town: 50 km/h (zone 30: 30, residential, pedestrian zone: 20)
• Outside town: 90 km/h
• Roads for motor vehicles: 110 km/h
• Highway: 130 km/h
• Trucks over 3.5 t: max 80 km/h (outside town and on highways)

Braking distance (dry road):

• 50 km/h → approx. 25 m
• 90 km/h → approx. 80 m
• 130 km/h → approx. 170 m

On wet roads, the braking distance doubles!

Practical principle: Always drive so that you can stop within the distance you can see a clear path. At night, in fog, or in rain, this means significantly slowing down.

What the law says

Verbatim text of Act No. 361/2000 Coll., on road traffic, as in force on 1 January 2026. Quoted in Czech — the Czech wording is the binding one.

Check what you remember

Five questions from the official bank. The answer appears only after you choose — try to recall it first, that is what makes learning stick.

1. Question 1 of 5

   A driver of a motor vehicle with a maximum permissible mass exceeding 3,500 kg, except for a bus, may travel outside a built-up area at a speed of no more than:

   90 km/h.80 km/h.70 km/h.

   § 18

2. Question 2 of 5

   Unless a higher speed is permitted by the "Maximum speed" sign, a driver may travel in a built-up area at a speed of no more than:

   50 km/h.60 km/h.70 km/h.

   § 18

3. Question 3 of 5

   When using snow chains on a vehicle, a driver may travel at:

   A maximum speed of 30 km/h.A maximum speed of 80 km/h.A maximum speed of 50 km/h.

   § 18

4. Question 4 of 5

   A driver may only travel at a speed:

   At which they are able to stop the vehicle when another driver does not give them the right of way.At which they are able to stop the vehicle within a distance of 100 m.At which they are able to stop the vehicle within the distance at which they have a clear view.

   § 18

5. Question 5 of 5

   A driver must not suddenly reduce speed or suddenly stop:

   Unless road traffic safety requires it.Except in the case of feeling unwell.Except when being stopped by a railway employee.

   § 18