Driving the downhill stretch of the Grapevine on I-5 from the Los Angeles/Kern County line safely while avoiding a traffic ticket is a challenge. Over 19,000 big rigs travel this route daily, and because it is one of the most dangerous stretches of road in the state, California Highway Patrol officers are everywhere. Verbal warnings, rather than citations, are few and far between. One of the most frequent charges that we see brought against Class A drivers on this stretch of I-5 is VC 22407.

The language of VC 22407 is simple:

Whenever the Department of Transportation or local authority determines upon the basis of engineering studies and a traffic survey that the speed of 55 miles per hour is more than is reasonable or safe for vehicles mentioned in subdivision (a) of Section 22406, which have a manufacturer's gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds or more, in descending a grade upon any portion of a highway, the department or local authority, with respect to highways under their respective jurisdiction, may determine and declare a speed limit of 50, 45, 40, 35, 30, 25, or 20 miles per hour, whichever is found most appropriate to facilitate the orderly movement of traffic and is reasonable and safe, which declared speed limit shall be effective for such vehicles when appropriate signs giving notice thereof are erected upon the highway.

If you received a ticket on the Grapevine, there is a good chance that you received a violation for going faster than 35 or 45mph somewhere near the Ft. Tejon or Lebec area. You may have missed the first sign, failed to downshift quickly enough, or just had a heavy load and was trying to avoid burning up your brakes. The bottom line is that you are now looking at 1.5 points on your license and a possible serious federal violation if your speed was 15mph or more over the speed limit.

We can help. Your citation will be sent to either the Lamont or Santa Clarita courthouses. We focus exclusively on traffic law and will know what to do to in either court to maximize your chances of keeping your record clean and your job secure. Contact us at (661) 859-1177 for a free phone consultation regarding your best options for your ticket.