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California Speed Limit


Barry Sloe

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Back when I was stationed in California the speed limit when towing a trailer was 55 mph. Has that changed?

 

Thanks,

BS

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Yes, 55, regardless of the vehicle or trailer. 
 

Better pro tip, wait until someone passes you with a trailer doing 70 then fall in behind at a few hundred yards. They are your ticket magnet.  ;)

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43 minutes ago, Pat Riot, SASS #13748 said:

Yes, 55, regardless of the vehicle or trailer. 
 

Better pro tip, wait until someone passes you with a trailer doing 70 then fall in behind at a few hundred yards. They are your ticket magnet.  ;)

Doesn’t always work. Years ago PA had big signs on the border advertising the penalties for speeding. Followed 2-3 trailers into the state from MD. Trooper pulled me over, let the truckers go by unmolested. As he was writing me up he jumped out of the cruiser and flagged down another auto. The trucks he was following got a free pass. I was an out of stater. The officer handed me my ticket and quoted the $ fine, and the fact that if I mailed in the ticket, pleaded guilty and paid the fine by a designated date they would not report it to my home state. I said “sold” and went on my way with his blessing. ;)

 

CJ

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33 minutes ago, Cactus Jack Calder said:

Doesn’t always work. Years ago PA had big signs on the border advertising the penalties for speeding. Followed 2-3 trailers into the state from MD. Trooper pulled me over, let the truckers go by unmolested. As he was writing me up he jumped out of the cruiser and flagged down another auto. The trucks he was following got a free pass. I was an out of stater. The officer handed me my ticket and quoted the $ fine, and the fact that if I mailed in the ticket, pleaded guilty and paid the fine by a designated date they would not report it to my home state. I said “sold” and went on my way with his blessing. ;)

 

CJ

Ah see, I said “another trailer” not a tractor trailer. Thanks for bringing that up. In CA if the truckers are rolling higher than 55 sticking with them should probably be okay, but if they’re doing the speed limit THEN you rely on some other poor soul to run interference. ;)

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16 minutes ago, Pat Riot, SASS #13748 said:

Ah see, I said “another trailer” not a tractor trailer. Thanks for bringing that up. In CA if the truckers are rolling higher than 55 sticking with them should probably be okay, but if they’re doing the speed limit THEN you rely on some other poor soul to run interference. ;)

When I was driving semis just before I retired, I always ran 65 never got bothered by chp

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Absolutely the dumbest law ever.  You are doing 55 everyone else is doing 65+  You create an unsafe traffic condition with everyone trying to move over and pass you. Those the end up behind you are forced to slow down and then they attempt to merge into another lane with autos traveling significantly faster.

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Remember... if you "fall in behind" the other speeders, you're at the tail end of the line, you're the first guy the bopper's gonna get to, and you're the one he'll pull over.  ;)

 

Easy pickin's!  ^_^

 

 

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During my brief stint driving big rigs in the 11 western states, I often ran the I-5 from Oregon to LA. Our truck were governed at 62, and traffic permitting I ran at that speed all the time with nary a look from CHP.

Got into a conversation with a couple of officers at the Lost Hills truck stop about the subject came up. What I was told was that generally, if the truck was driving in a straight line and not weaving in and out they would let it go. 

EXCEPT, for this one officer that was assigned to the Lebec abandoned rest stop section of the Grapevine. Especially the north bound side where you have a mile or so downhill and it was real easy to pick up speed. He had a major hard on for truckers and many of my fellow drivers had tales of getting tickets for going 2mph over.

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3 hours ago, Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 said:

Remember... if you "fall in behind" the other speeders, you're at the tail end of the line, you're the first guy the bopper's gonna get to, and you're the one he'll pull over.  ;)

 

Easy pickin's!  ^_^

 

 

In my Miata I used to lead the pack. :lol:
Three times , that I know of, on I-5 between Sacramento and LA I thwarted a ticket by being in the lead with followers. ;)

 

 

4 hours ago, Sedalia Dave said:

Absolutely the dumbest law ever.  You are doing 55 everyone else is doing 65+  You create an unsafe traffic condition with everyone trying to move over and pass you. Those the end up behind you are forced to slow down and then they attempt to merge into another lane with autos traveling significantly faster.

It absolutely is dangerous yet the scum that runs Kaleepornia will not relax truck speed limits. 
Numerous times I sent group emails to the heads of the CHP, DOT, the state senate and house and the governor explaining how dangerous this law truly is. I also explained how it wastes energy. Automobile drivers that want to do 70 get slowed by trucks power their vehicles up to 70 to get around trucks and burn fuel. Crashes occur all the time by self absorbed morons trying to cram in at the head of the pack by flying up the slow lane then abruptly changing lanes when they get to the 55 mph truck in that same lane. Road rage is a big concern in these scenarios. Also, a truck driving 55 pollutes more as it takes more time to get to a destination. A truck doing 70 and a truck doing 55 put out the same emissions, maybe even less at 70. 
I rarely got a response and when I did it was by a kool-aid drinking asstard towing the party line on control of the masses. 
 

I think my BP just went up. Done talking about CA. The sun is out and I am going to go ride my bike. 

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8 hours ago, Pat Riot, SASS #13748 said:

Ah see, I said “another trailer” not a tractor trailer. Thanks for bringing that up. In CA if the truckers are rolling higher than 55 sticking with them should probably be okay, but if they’re doing the speed limit THEN you rely on some other poor soul to run interference. ;)

I have always heard the "poor soul" referred to as a 'bird dog'.

 

And i like to just keep them in sight- so the nice osiffer has time to pullout in front of me to give him his ticket.

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Use Waze on your phone. Let's you know about slow traffic, cops, wrecks, construction, etc. 

Before anyone goes on a rant about using a phone in a vehicle, it works hands free and talks to you.

Just now, Smuteye John SASS#24774 said:

I have always heard the "poor soul" referred to as a 'bird dog'.

 

And i like to just keep them in sight- so the nice osiffer has time to pullout in front of me to give him his ticket.

I always say "Run, rabbit, run!" If I get passed. If.

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2 minutes ago, Michigan Slim said:

Use Waze on your phone. Let's you know about slow traffic, cops, wrecks, construction, etc. 

Before anyone goes on a rant about using a phone in a vehicle, it works hands free and talks to you.

I always say "Run, rabbit, run!" If I get passed. If.

I'm technologically apathetic, of a distrustful nature and a bit of a Luddite.   Don't use location apps or apps that require my location. 

 

Road atlases and observation work just fine- and neither relies on batteries.

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21 minutes ago, Michigan Slim said:

Use Waze on your phone. Let's you know about slow traffic, cops, wrecks, construction, etc. 

Before anyone goes on a rant about using a phone in a vehicle, it works hands free and talks to you.

I always say "Run, rabbit, run!" If I get passed. If.

Be careful using Waze is big cities to get around locally. Several times Waze put me into WAY less than desirable neighborhoods to get me somewhere 1 minute sooner. 
Outside of high crime cities Waze can be a good thing to have. 

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1 hour ago, Pat Riot, SASS #13748 said:

Be careful using Waze is big cities to get around locally. Several times Waze put me into WAY less than desirable neighborhoods to get me somewhere 1 minute sooner. 
Outside of high crime cities Waze can be a good thing to have. 

I only use it for hazards, not so much for navigation.

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4 hours ago, Texas Joker said:

Wait til you get the impeding traffic ticket for going 55 while everybody else goes 75

You won't.

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Back in 1975 when I got transferred from Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Cornwallis, Nova Scotia to Moose Jaw, Sask. We came across the U.S. from Maine to North Dakota when everything was 55 mph.  I would follow a semi and if he did 55 so did I, if he did 70 so did I as he knew where the Smokies were.

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8 hours ago, Big Sage, SASS #49891 Life said:

You won't.

 But you can get a ticket as a trucker for impeding traffic while going uphill because you started out at the bottom of the hill doing 55 (since he was right behind me and I couldn't get a running start).  :angry:

 

At least he didn't wait until we were halfway down the other side to bust me for stab braking at 57 or 58.<_<

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9 hours ago, Big Sage, SASS #49891 Life said:

You won't.

I can guarantee you that you can in California. If you are in the fast lane slowing people down regardless of speed you can be pulled over and ticketed for impeding the flow of traffic and it is not a cheap ticket either. 

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1 hour ago, Pat Riot, SASS #13748 said:

I can guarantee you that you can in California. If you are in the fast lane slowing people down regardless of speed you can be pulled over and ticketed for impeding the flow of traffic and it is not a cheap ticket either. 

I didn't say which lane you should be driving in, assumed at 55 you would be in the right hand lane. 

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