At no time shall speeds exceed that which is:

• A. strictly posted maximum speeds
• B. equal to the posted speed limit at all times
• C. reasonable and prudent, consistent with existing traffic conditions - taking into consideration insufficient lighting at night and weather conditions
• D. dictated by the captain's discretion

Answer: (C)

The important idea is that you must drive at a speed that is safe for the current conditions. You should choose a speed that is reasonable and prudent given the traffic, visibility, road surface, and weather, including hours of low light at night. Even if a posted limit exists, you must slow down when conditions make the higher speed unsafe, and you should never rely only on the posted limit. The other ideas are too rigid or unrelated: driving only at the posted maximum can be unsafe in poor conditions, always matching the posted limit ignores safety, and speed should not be left to someone else’s discretion.