Speed limits & school zones
Default Speed Limits and School Zones
Sample content — expert review in progress. These lessons and questions are drafted in-house against official sources and are still working through verification. Nothing here is marked verified or published yet.
Default speed limits set by law
Unless a sign says otherwise, Ontario's Highway Traffic Act sets a default speed limit of 50 km/h in cities and towns (built-up areas), and 80 km/h on highways outside built-up areas. These numbers apply automatically, even where there's no posted sign, so it's worth knowing them by heart.
Posted signs always win
If you see a posted speed limit sign, follow that number instead of the default. Posted limits can be lower or higher than the default, depending on the road.
School zones slow things down
Many schools sit inside a reduced-speed zone, marked with school-zone signs, often showing a lower limit during school hours. These lower limits exist because children can be unpredictable near roads — they can dart out from between parked cars. Watch for crossing guards, flashing lights, and kids near the road, even outside posted hours.