California's road rules and driving laws are well-summarized in The California Driver's Handbook, also available in booklet form from the California Department of Motor Vehicles (the DMV) at any DMV office or the head office in Sacramento. You can also browse the full California Vehicle Code (CVC) under the state's official California Code Web Page.
Please do not rely on me or this Guide for legal advice; what follows is a brief informal summary that may be out of date and / or incomplete, or even entirely wrong — there's no excuse for not doing your own homework on this! And please don't ask me for legal advice or advice on getting around the law or whatever: I'm not a lawyer, or even particularly intimate with Californian law.
Road Rules
There are a few points that might confuse or surprise the visitor; the following relies heavily on that book and my own personal experience:
* Motorcyclists must wear approved helmets while on the road; motorcyles can legally split lanes.
* The driver and all passengers must wear seat belts(or be in approved child-restraint holders — see below).
* All children under the age of 6 or under 60lbs (about 27 Kg) weight must be in approved child-restraint seats or holders.
* DUI — driving under the influence of alcohol — is a serious offense in California, with criminal penalties and drastic consequences. The blood alcohol limit is 0.08%, but you can also be charged regardless of blood alcohol amount if the police can prove you were affected by the alcohol. (And remember, regardless of DUI offences, in the US the legal drinking age is 21).
* Right turn on red — in most cases, it is legal to make a right turn at an intersection even against a red light. This is not universal, and exceptions are always signed — but note that the exception signs are often tiny things in hard-to-see places.
If you are turning right and the light is red, you are supposed to stop at the intersection before turning, then turn when you're sure there's no other traffic (through traffic, and traffic entering the intersection on green or yellow lights, have right of way). Many Californians don't quite stop, but it's still a good idea, particularly if you're used to driving on the "wrong" side of the road.
* Passing — it's quite legal to pass ("overtake") on the inside (i.e. to the right), as long as it's safe and in a properly-marked lane (i.e. only do this on multi-lane freeways and highways). Passing on the inside is pretty essential given the lack of lane discipline in California.
* Four-way stop signs — many four-way intersections have stop signs on all sides of the intersection. This sounds like a recipe for deadlock, but the rules for who gives way to whom are pretty easy. In general, you take turns to go through the intersection in the order at which you got to the edge of the intersection. If two or more of you got there at the same time, the ordering is clock-wise (i.e. the driver to your right goes first). This scheme isn't fool-proof (I still don't know what you're supposed to do when four cars get there at exactly the same time...) so keep a tight watch.
* U-turns — U-turns are generally allowed at intersections except where explicitly not allowed (usually with a big sign saying "U Turns Prohibited"). You make the u-turn from the normal left turn lane, if it exists; at intersections controlled by traffic lights, you will normally only be able to make u-turns on the green arrow or similar. U-turns on busy streets or in business areas are generally not allowed except at intersections; in most other cases, you can make a u-turn with appropriate care, unless the street has a solid yellow line down the middle, or visibility is obstructed by terrain or turns. U-turns are of course strictly forbidden on freeways and most highways.
* School buses — when you come to a school bus stopped on either side of a road with the bus's red lights flashing, you must stop, and remain stopped as long as the red lights are flashing. These laws are strictly enforced in some places, not in others (e.g. in large parts of Berkeley you'll be roundly abused by drivers behind you if you stop for a school buses, as I quickly learned...).
Californian school buses are immediately recognizable — they're the same as elsewhere in the US, i.e. special yellow buses clearly marked "School Bus" on the front and rear (at least). If you're a foreigner you've probably seen them on TV or in the movies — they're an inescapable part of life here. The flashing red lights on the bus mean that children are getting on or off the bus and are likely to try to cross the road near the bus.
Please do not rely on me or this Guide for legal advice; what follows is a brief informal summary that may be out of date and / or incomplete, or even entirely wrong — there's no excuse for not doing your own homework on this! And please don't ask me for legal advice or advice on getting around the law or whatever: I'm not a lawyer, or even particularly intimate with Californian law.
Road Rules
There are a few points that might confuse or surprise the visitor; the following relies heavily on that book and my own personal experience:
* Motorcyclists must wear approved helmets while on the road; motorcyles can legally split lanes.
* The driver and all passengers must wear seat belts(or be in approved child-restraint holders — see below).
* All children under the age of 6 or under 60lbs (about 27 Kg) weight must be in approved child-restraint seats or holders.
* DUI — driving under the influence of alcohol — is a serious offense in California, with criminal penalties and drastic consequences. The blood alcohol limit is 0.08%, but you can also be charged regardless of blood alcohol amount if the police can prove you were affected by the alcohol. (And remember, regardless of DUI offences, in the US the legal drinking age is 21).
* Right turn on red — in most cases, it is legal to make a right turn at an intersection even against a red light. This is not universal, and exceptions are always signed — but note that the exception signs are often tiny things in hard-to-see places.
If you are turning right and the light is red, you are supposed to stop at the intersection before turning, then turn when you're sure there's no other traffic (through traffic, and traffic entering the intersection on green or yellow lights, have right of way). Many Californians don't quite stop, but it's still a good idea, particularly if you're used to driving on the "wrong" side of the road.
* Passing — it's quite legal to pass ("overtake") on the inside (i.e. to the right), as long as it's safe and in a properly-marked lane (i.e. only do this on multi-lane freeways and highways). Passing on the inside is pretty essential given the lack of lane discipline in California.
* Four-way stop signs — many four-way intersections have stop signs on all sides of the intersection. This sounds like a recipe for deadlock, but the rules for who gives way to whom are pretty easy. In general, you take turns to go through the intersection in the order at which you got to the edge of the intersection. If two or more of you got there at the same time, the ordering is clock-wise (i.e. the driver to your right goes first). This scheme isn't fool-proof (I still don't know what you're supposed to do when four cars get there at exactly the same time...) so keep a tight watch.
* U-turns — U-turns are generally allowed at intersections except where explicitly not allowed (usually with a big sign saying "U Turns Prohibited"). You make the u-turn from the normal left turn lane, if it exists; at intersections controlled by traffic lights, you will normally only be able to make u-turns on the green arrow or similar. U-turns on busy streets or in business areas are generally not allowed except at intersections; in most other cases, you can make a u-turn with appropriate care, unless the street has a solid yellow line down the middle, or visibility is obstructed by terrain or turns. U-turns are of course strictly forbidden on freeways and most highways.
* School buses — when you come to a school bus stopped on either side of a road with the bus's red lights flashing, you must stop, and remain stopped as long as the red lights are flashing. These laws are strictly enforced in some places, not in others (e.g. in large parts of Berkeley you'll be roundly abused by drivers behind you if you stop for a school buses, as I quickly learned...).
Californian school buses are immediately recognizable — they're the same as elsewhere in the US, i.e. special yellow buses clearly marked "School Bus" on the front and rear (at least). If you're a foreigner you've probably seen them on TV or in the movies — they're an inescapable part of life here. The flashing red lights on the bus mean that children are getting on or off the bus and are likely to try to cross the road near the bus.
Speed Limits
The most important speed limits you need to know about here are the two "default" limits, 25 M.P.H. (40 K.P.H.) and 55 M.P.H. (90 K.P.H.), for suburban and city roads, and for freeways or highways, respectively. Although limits vary around these figures (e.g. 30 or 35 M.P.H. (roughly 50 and 60 K.P.H. respectively) on some large city streets, 65 or 70 M.P.H. (100 and 110 K.P.H.) on many freeways), if no limit is posted, you should assume one or other of these two speeds. Speed limits signs (black lettering on a rectangular white background) are usually posted at regular intervals along freeways, highways, and other major roads.
No one ever seems to observe the limits strictly; not even the police (except when revenue is getting low). In general, it seems that 30 M.P.H. is the norm for 25 M.P.H. areas, 60-65 M.P.H. for 55 M.P.H. freeways, and 70 M.P.H. for 65 M.P.H. roads, etc.; the police generally don't seem to worry about this sort of speeding (but don't count on it — enforcement has been tightened up a bit since the freeway speed limits were raised from 55 M.P.H., and there are places like Alameda where even a couple of MPH's over the limit can get you a ticket).
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