Driver's License Test Prep
Oregon Practice Speed Limits

You're driving on a downtown street in any Oregon city, lined with shops and restaurants. There is no posted speed limit sign. What speed limit applies?

  1. A.
    25 mph
  2. B.
    15 mph
  3. C.
    20 mph Correct
  4. D.
    55 mph
The Why

The answer is "20 mph"

Oregon's statutory speed limits apply whether or not a sign is posted. The default for any business district is 20 mph, and a downtown street lined with shops and restaurants meets that description. Someone answering A is reaching for the 25 mph residential default instead of the business-district figure that fits this street.

Why the others miss

The traps in the wrong answers

A. 25 mph

25 mph applies in residential districts, public parks, and on ocean shores. A downtown commercial street is a business district, where the statutory limit is 20 mph. This answer swaps the residential-district default (25 mph) for the business-district default (20 mph).

B. 15 mph

15 mph is the statutory default for alleys and narrow residential areas, not for a downtown commercial street, which is a business district where 20 mph applies. This answer applies the alley / narrow-residential default (15 mph) to a downtown commercial street, which is a business district.

D. 55 mph

55 mph is the catch-all default for roads not meeting any other definition (e.g., rural state highways), not for downtown streets. This answer applies the 'roads not meeting any other definition' catch-all to a street that clearly meets the business-district definition.

The Rule

This question tests your knowledge of Speed Limits in Oregon. Source: Oregon Driver Manual, "Speed Regulations - Speed Limits," p.19..

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