In California, unless signs post a different limit, the speed limit is 25 mph within 500 feet of a school while children are outdoors or crossing the road, and some school zones post limits as low as 15 mph. Flashing signs like the one pictured show when the limit is in force, so watch for students, cyclists, and crossing guards.
California lets drivers move into a bicycle lane within 200 feet of the intersection where they will turn, and otherwise only to park where parking is allowed or to enter or leave the road. A bike lane is never a place to pass other traffic or to get through heavy traffic, and any cyclist already in it has the right-of-way.
Headlights are required whenever poor light or bad weather keeps you from seeing people and vehicles 1,000 feet ahead. Using them then helps you see the road and helps other drivers see you.
Both rules apply in a traffic circle: vehicles move counterclockwise, keeping the center island on the driver's left, and anyone entering must give the right-of-way to traffic already going around.
Without a sign showing otherwise, residential districts carry a 25 mph limit. Homes along the street mean children, walkers and bike riders may appear suddenly, so keep your speed down and stay ready to brake.
Before you back up, change lanes or brake suddenly, check the traffic behind you with your mirrors and by turning your head. Look over your shoulder through the rear window when backing, and check your blind spot before moving into another lane. These are the moments when a collision with someone behind you is most likely: backing takes you toward whatever is back there, and if you change lanes or brake hard, a vehicle coming up behind you may have no room to avoid you.
Riding loose in the cargo area of a pickup is unlawful and can easily be deadly. Someone may travel back there only when they have a seat fitted with a safety belt.
Moving into a bike lane is allowed when you are getting ready to turn right, and only during the last 200 feet before that turn. Look out for riders, use your signal early, and let any cyclist in the lane go first.
Tip Do not treat a bike lane as a passing lane or a way around traffic jams.
Most states require a parallel-parked car to have its wheels within 12 inches of the curb, and some allow up to 18, so staying within 12 inches keeps you legal in either case. A wider gap leaves the car sticking out into the travel lane, where it becomes a hazard to passing traffic.
Tip A gap of roughly 6 to 12 inches keeps you within the limit while protecting your tires from the curb.
Regular vehicles may not travel or park in a lane set aside for buses. Moving across it to turn right is permitted, but check for buses first and let them go ahead of you.
No one number is safe in every situation. Choose your speed based on the weather, the road surface, how far you can see and how heavy traffic is, and remember that driving under the limit can still be too fast in poor conditions.
Wet or icy pavement gives the tires less grip, so any slowing should be done before a curve or intersection, not in the middle of it. Likewise, shift into a lower gear before a steep downhill begins rather than after you are already descending.
After a blowout, hold the steering wheel firmly, take your foot off the accelerator, and keep the car going straight while it loses speed on its own. Braking hard can make you lose control, so stop only after you have eased off the road to a safe spot.
The reduced 15 to 25 mph school-zone speed applies within 500 to 1,000 feet of a school when children are outdoors or crossing nearby. Stay alert for children, cyclists, and crossing guards around the school.
Drivers must stay out of bike lanes except in a few cases, such as parking where it is allowed or preparing for a right turn, and for a turn you may enter the lane no sooner than 200 feet before the corner. Any cyclist already in the lane keeps the right-of-way, and the lane may never be used for passing.
Headlights must be on from 30 minutes after the sun sets until 30 minutes before it rises. You also need them any time rain, fog, snow or other conditions cut down how far ahead you can see.
Angling the front tires this way means that if the brakes ever fail, the curb catches the car before it can roll into the street. Wheels left straight offer no such protection.
Tip Whether you face uphill or downhill, set the wheels so a runaway car would come to rest against the curb or the edge of the road.
Headphones covering both ears block out sirens, horns and other warning sounds, which is why driving with them on is prohibited in California and several other states. Adjusting mirrors while moving or letting a pet roam the car can be distracting, but neither is covered by that ban.
California recommends the three-second rule: pick a fixed point and make sure at least 3 seconds pass after the car ahead reaches it before you do; leave more space on slippery roads or in fog.
Water on the pavement makes stopping take longer, so open up a gap of at least 4 to 5 seconds behind the vehicle ahead. Brake, steer and accelerate gently to avoid skidding.
Tip On wet pavement, plan on about twice your usual following distance so you have room to stop.
When traffic is heavy, keeping pace with the vehicles around you is usually safest, even if the limit allows more. Never go above the posted limit, and avoid crawling well below the flow, because big speed differences invite collisions.
For drivers under 18, the ban on phones and other wireless devices covers hands-free use too. The lone exception is an emergency, such as calling police, firefighters or an ambulance for help.
Blinking your brake lights or turning on the hazard flashers lets the people behind you know early that traffic is stopping for a crash ahead, which gives them room to slow down. These signals warn of danger or an unexpected slowdown; they are not a way to thank another driver or something to use while reversing out of a parking spot.
Tip Hazard flashers are for warning others of a sudden danger, not for excusing double-parking or for ordinary driving.
Headlights must remain on until half an hour before sunrise, the same 30-minute margin used after sunset. In that dim early light, they keep your vehicle visible to other road users.
The California Driver Handbook says a child 6 or younger may not be left unattended in a vehicle unless someone at least 12 years old is supervising, and a car seat does not change that rule. Heat, cold, and other hazards can endanger a child left alone within minutes.
Passing must always be done on the paved, main part of the road. Pulling onto the shoulder or dirt edge to get by is never allowed, even next to a vehicle that is turning left.
Where no sign gives another number, the default limit on residential streets and in business areas is 25 mph. A posted sign can set a different limit, so watch for one.
The yellow car goes first because it is traveling straight and is on the blue car's right. The blue car, also going straight, goes second, and the orange truck goes last because a vehicle turning left must yield to vehicles going straight.
A closed car can become dangerously hot within minutes, and a child strapped into a car seat cannot escape the heat. Leaving a young child alone in these conditions is illegal no matter how securely the child is restrained.
Someone at least 12 years old has to stay with a child aged 6 or under who is in a vehicle, and buckling the child into a car seat does not create an exception. The rule is not limited to times when the motor is running, and cracking the windows does not make it legal.
Tip A car seat protects a child in a crash, but it never makes it legal to leave a young child alone in the car.
Many states require every occupant to buckle up; in some, adults in the back seat are not legally required to, but a belt protects everyone, so every occupant should wear one. Young children must ride in a child safety seat that fits their age and size.
In heavy traffic, the safest speed is usually the one the surrounding traffic is already driving, even when the posted limit is higher. Driving well above or below the speed of nearby vehicles raises the risk of a crash.
Under California law, every occupant must buckle up, whatever seat they are in. On top of buckling their own belt, drivers must make sure riders younger than 16 are properly restrained.
If a school bus stops on a two-lane road with its red lights flashing, traffic approaching from either direction has to stop and stay put until the lights go off and the bus moves on. Simply slowing down is not sufficient, including when the bus is on the opposite side of the road.
Tip Drivers on the far side of a highway split by a physical divider, such as a raised median, are not required to stop.
Each curb color carries its own parking rule. White allows only a brief stop to let passengers in or out or to drop off or collect mail, while yellow is for loading freight or passengers.
Tip A white curb is for a quick drop-off or pickup of people or mail, not for parking or loading cargo.
Signaling tells others what you intend, the mirrors show traffic behind and beside you, and a quick look over your shoulder covers the blind spots that mirrors cannot show. Skipping the mirror check or the head check can leave a vehicle right beside you unseen.
At a crossing that lacks any warning devices, a view of less than 400 feet along the tracks in one direction limits you to 15 mph. Moving that slowly gives you a chance to spot a train and brake well before the rails.
It is illegal to follow an emergency vehicle that is using its siren any closer than 300 feet, because crews need space and the vehicle may stop suddenly. Once it has passed, return to normal driving instead of tailing it.
A right turn is shown by hand with the left arm held out and bent at the elbow, forearm raised straight up. An arm held fully straight out means a left turn, while a forearm angled downward tells others you are slowing or stopping.
Every question in this set has its own page with the correct answer and an explanation.
