Traffic Laws and Driving Regulations
Speed, spacing, and lane discipline
Oklahoma's basic speed law requires you to drive at a speed reasonable for conditions, regardless of the posted limit - the posted number is a maximum for ideal conditions, not a target. Questions often present fog, rain, or a work zone and expect you to say the safe speed is below the posted limit. Keep a following distance of at least three seconds in good conditions and more when roads are wet or visibility is poor.
Stay in your lane, signal before every lane change and turn, and complete the change only when it is safe. On multi-lane roads, slower traffic keeps right. Passing is prohibited where a solid yellow line is on your side, on hills and curves with limited sight distance, at railroad crossings, and at intersections unless permitted. Never pass a vehicle stopped at a crosswalk for a pedestrian.
Signals, turns, and stopping
Signal at least 100 feet before a turn in normal driving. Make right turns from the right lane and left turns from the leftmost lawful lane. Come to a complete stop at stop signs, red lights, and before entering a crosswalk when required. U-turns are restricted where signs prohibit them and where visibility is limited.
Traps to watch for
- "Exactly at the limit" thinking. In poor conditions, driving the posted limit can still be too fast and is a common wrong answer.
- Rolling stops. A slow roll through a stop sign is a violation; the wheels must stop moving.
- Passing near crossings. Passing at a railroad crossing or an intersection is generally unlawful.
Rule of thumb
Use the three-second gap: pick a fixed object, and if you reach it before you finish counting "one-one-thousand, two-one-thousand, three-one-thousand," you are too close.