Many drivers seem to believe that a posted speed limit for a particular stretch of road is the speed at which they are always entitled to travel. If they see a sign saying 30 mph, they believe they have every right to travel at 30 mph at any time. They might even believe they are being good drivers by not exceeding it or even by only exceeding it slightly.
That is not how speed limits are meant to work, however. While it can certainly be dangerous to drive too slowly at times, a speed limit should be considered the maximum allowable speed based on ideal conditions.
Slowing down at times is an obligation
California’s Basic Speed Law says that motorists “may never drive faster than is safe for the current road conditions.” Most drivers slow down in heavy traffic. They realize they cannot safely reach that maximum speed limit without causing an accident. However, there are two things motorists often fail to lower their speed for.
First is people on bicycles. Some drivers feel the bicyclist should move out of their way or not be on the road at all. Second is adverse conditions. These can be weather-related or surface-related.
Example one: A road has just been resurfaced and still has considerable loose gravel. A driver believes they can still drive at the 50 mph limit, not taking into account the effect the loose gravel has on their or others’ ability to brake or steer. They also ignore the threat that sending clouds of dust or flying stones toward another road user poses.
Example two: A driver fails to slow down in heavy rain. They send plumes of water up that reduce the vision of others and could knock a bicyclist off. The driver may lose control due to hydroplaning on surface water. They may fail to spot a bicyclist because their wipers cannot cope with the volume of water falling onto the glass or because it’s dark and the wipers are dirty, causing smearing. This leads to exaggerated glare from the lights of passing cars, reducing the driver’s ability to see clearly.
A bicyclist injured by a driver may need legal guidance to make their case for how driving at the speed limit amounted to negligence due to the conditions at the time.
