Vehicles' speed is one of the key factors in vehicle travel efficiency, as speed is related to vehicle travel time, travel safety, fuel consumption, and exhaust gas emissions (e.g., CO₂ emissions). Therefore, to improve the travel efficiency, a recommended speed calculation scheme is proposed to assist driving in Vehicle Ad hoc networks (VANETs) circumstances. In the proposed scheme, vehicles' current speed and space headway are obtained by Vehicle-to-Roadside unit (V2R) communication and Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) communication. Based on the vehicles' current speed and adjacent vehicles' space headway, a recommended speed is calculated by on-board units installed in the vehicles, and then this recommended speed is provided to drivers. The drivers can change their speed to the recommended speed. At the recommended speed, vehicle travel efficiency can be improved: vehicles can arrive at destinations in a shorter travel time with fewer stop times, lower fuel consumption, and less CO₂ emission. In particular, when approaching intersections, vehicles can pass through the intersections with less red light waiting time and a higher non-stop passing rate.