No Speed Limit Sign? What’s the Legal Limit?

You are cruising down Highway 99 just outside Visalia, wind blowing in your hair and the sight of beautiful rolling green hills all around you, not a speed limit sign in sight, nor a care in the world. Suddenly, lights are flashing in your rear-view mirror and you are forced to care. The police officer says you were speeding. How can that be, if there were no signs posted? Taking a closer look at the laws in California, the Driving Motor Vehicle (DMV) website has more specific information. It seems our state has what are known as, “Basic Speed Laws.”

This information states that the speed limit on a highway in California is sixty-five miles per hour. There are a few exceptions to this. One is if there is a sign posted for seventy miles per hour, the driver may go that fast if conditions permit; however, if a driver is on an undivided highway where there are only two lanes or if they are pulling a trailer the maximum speed limit is fifty-five miles per hour. Therefore, what do you think the speed limit is for tractor-trailers statewide? That’s right, just 55 mph and the same for most buses. Other considerations include bad weather and heavy traffic. In times like this it is important to go with the flow of traffic. If the weather is bad and a driver does not feel safe, it is best to slow down or pull over.

In conclusion, it is best to stick with the rules of the road; however, if the conditions are just right there is a chance with no sign and proof that you were not harming anyone by going a little over the limit could mean you can walk away with just a scolding from the judge. Have any more questions? Contact Bigger & Harman, today, email: attorney@markbigger.com or call, 661-349-9300. En español, llame al 661-349-9755.