Is 25 km/h acceptable for straight-line driving in Subject 3?

[RyanDella]

Subject 3 straight-line driving at 25 km/h is acceptable. Relevant details are as follows: 1. Test content: The road driving skills test for Subject 3 generally includes: preparation for boarding, simulated lighting test, starting, straight-line driving, gear shifting operations, lane changing, pulling over, driving straight through intersections, left turns at intersections, right turns at intersections, crossing pedestrian crossings, and passing through school zones. 2. Scoring criteria: In Subject 3, the matching speed for third gear is generally between 25 km/h and 35 km/h, with a minimum not lower than 20 km/h and a maximum not exceeding 40 km/h.

[VonMargaret]

I'm particularly qualified to speak on this. When I was taking the driving test for Subject 3, the instructor repeatedly emphasized the importance of maintaining the exact speed. While 25 km/h is theoretically allowed, the actual requirement depends on the specific test center. Some local DMVs require maintaining at least 30 km/h, and going below 25 km/h means an automatic fail. During my test, I used second gear, and the instructor advised keeping the speed between 25 and 30 km/h for the most stability. The key isn’t the absolute speed but avoiding large speed fluctuations. Gripping the steering wheel too tightly can actually cause drifting—maintaining a steady speed is the real trick. Test routes often have slight slopes, so anticipate throttle depth in advance and focus your gaze on distant reference lines. If the test center’s requirements are unclear, it’s safest to ask the examiner directly during practice.

[McMaddox]

From my experience as a co-driver during tests, maintaining 25 km/h in a straight line is completely fine, but it depends on where you're taking the test. I remember accompanying my wife at a suburban test center where the safety officer clearly said keeping between 20-30 km/h in second gear was acceptable. However, urban test centers have stricter rules—a friend failed last week just because the speedometer dropped to 24 km/h, which was judged as driving too slowly. The key is to keep the speed steady, avoiding sudden acceleration or deceleration. The needle on the dashboard should ideally fluctuate within a 5 km/h range; for example, dropping from 25 km/h to 20 km/h is unacceptable. Additionally, new regulations require gear matching—using third gear at 25 km/h will actually cost you points. Always test-drive the exam vehicle beforehand, as some older Jetta models can have speedometer errors of up to 5 km/h.

[Kara]

From a driving instructor's perspective: A speed of 25 km/h fully complies with examination standards. The key lies in operational stability rather than the specific speed value. The straight-line driving test primarily assesses three key points: whether steering control is smooth, whether a reasonable following distance is maintained, and whether speed matches the gear. It's recommended to drive in second gear, maintaining the RPM around 1500 to naturally achieve 25 km/h. Special attention must be paid to not looking at the dashboard for more than 2 seconds, as this would be considered dangerous observation. During regular training, you can practice by drawing reference lines on open road sections to develop a sense of the relative position between the vehicle body and road markings.

[MacBennett]

A newly licensed driver shares their real experience: I took the Highway Test (Subject 3) in the south and passed the straight-line section at 25 km/h. My instructor taught me a trick: align the wiper's bump with the roadside line. The test car was an old Santana, and gently pressing the throttle in second gear kept it right at 25 km/h. However, friends from the north mentioned they had to maintain over 30 km/h. The key is to listen to the engine sound to gauge speed, with just a glance at the dashboard. During the test, on a gentle downhill slope, extra caution was needed as speed could easily exceed 30 km/h, requiring slight braking. Later, I learned that different test cars have varying speed limits, and using 25 km/h in newer models could trigger a gear mismatch warning.

[DeclanLee]

A veteran driving test examiner revealed: There is no nationwide unified standard for the straight-line speed in Subject 3. Our test center allows speeds between 20-35 km/h, but 25 km/h is often the golden range. Key points to note about the system's penalty logic: Speed fluctuations exceeding 8 km/h are considered unstable, and falling below the test center's minimum speed limit results in immediate failure (ours is set at 22 km/h). Practical exam tips: 1. Choose a smooth road section to begin the test item 2. Pre-accelerate to 26 km/h before stabilizing 3. Hold the steering wheel lightly, using your back for support on bumpy sections 4. When correcting direction, keep adjustments under 5 degrees each time. Last time, a student driving at 28 km/h failed due to frequent directional adjustments caused by road undulations.