The answer options
- 70mph
- 50mph
- 30mph
- 60mphCorrect
Why that is the answer
The Highway Code sets the national speed limit for cars and motorcycles on a single carriageway at 60 mph, unless local signs show otherwise. People often mistakenly select 70 mph, but that higher limit applies only to dual carriageways and motorways. A streetlit area defaults to 30 mph, while a white circular sign with a black diagonal stripe marks the start of the national speed limit.
How this comes up in the real test
Questions from rules of the road appear throughout the 50-question multiple-choice section, and the wording changes between versions. Learn the rule rather than the sentence: the DVSA can ask the same point from the opposite direction, and a memorised answer falls over the moment the phrasing moves.
The pass mark is 43 out of 50, so seven wrong answers is your entire margin. If a whole category is shaky, run the topic practice below until you are getting every question right for the right reason, then go back to full mocks under the clock.
More rules of the road questions
- A single carriageway road has this sign. What’s the maximum permitted speed for a car towing a trailer?
- At a roundabout, how should you signal that you're going straight ahead?
- At an un-marked crossroads, who has priority?
- How else can you indicate to other drivers besides using direction indicators?
- How far are you allowed to reverse?
- How should you park at night on a road with a 40mph speed limit?