I'd like some clarity on the California towing speed limit

falconman wrote:
While I think that the 55 limit is a tad low, I'm not in favor of raising to match normal vehicle traffic. Exactly how fast should older, untrained, RV owners be allowed to drive thier 45K pound 65 foot long vehicle? Calif may have some restrictive towing laws but since they also have virtually no testing requirements to operate a large non commercial vehicle, I'm not so supportive of a increased speed limit while towing.

I think you need to check the CA driver licensing laws. SOME weight classes of RVs DO require special license endorsements, IIRC.
Maybe that only applies to trailers, I'm not sure.

While I think that the 55 limit is a tad low, I'm not in favor of raising to match normal vehicle traffic. Exactly how fast should older, untrained, RV owners be allowed to drive thier 45K pound 65 foot long vehicle? Calif may have some restrictive towing laws but since they also have virtually no testing requirements to operate a large non commercial vehicle, I'm not so supportive of a increased speed limit while towing.

V C Section 22406 Maximum Speed for Designated Vehicles

Maximum Speed for Designated Vehicles

22406. No person may drive any of the following vehicles on a highway
at a speed in excess of 55 miles per hour:
(a) A motortruck or truck tractor having three or more axles or any motortruck or truck tractor drawing any other vehicle.

(b) A passenger vehicle or bus drawing any other vehicle.

(c) A schoolbus transporting any school pupil.

(d) A farm labor vehicle when transporting passengers.

(e) A vehicle transporting explosives.

(f) A trailer bus, as defined in Section 636.

Amended Sec. 22, Ch. 787, Stats. 2000. Effective January 1 2001.

This is direct from the California motor vehicle code.
Randy

I live in Ca and usually just get in the right lane and set the cruise at 58mph.........that seems to be about right for traffic that is cruising in that lane. Even thought the speed limit is 55 mph when towing, it's very common to see trucks doing 65mph. I just drove from Phoenix to Ca across the desert......and since the speed limit is higher, I set the cruise at 62mph. I have a Silver Leaf Display that gives me instantaneous mpg readout..........and I don't see much difference in between 58 and 62. My biggest complaint with other drives is they don't know how to merge into traffic. Like one of the posters above........some think they have the right away, and don't even look to merge and will do so at a slow speed. It's not so much who has the right away, it's what's safe. I once was in a similar situation as the above poster, couldn't move over and traffic was heavy........this car was merging and didn't even look, I finally honked my horn at her..........further down the road, she passed me, and showed me her IQ, sad part was, she had several kids in the car..........I thought, wow, great example for the kids.

Just some historical trivia,
The reason Congress originally passed the 55 mph speed limit was supposedly for safety reasons. It seems it had nothing really to do with safety but rather because their was a shortage of fuel. The thinking was that if we all drove 55mph we would conserve the amount of fuel we used. Research shows no positive correlation between driving 55mph and safer highways. Driving 55mph is in theory is a sound concept but in the world of reality the majority of drivers do not drive at that speed. As a result, you have unsafe road conditions as the majority of drivers are having to constantly make driving decisions that increase unsafe road conditions. This is not a issue of who is right or wrong but rather an issue of "theory" vs
"Reality". Just a different perspective-------

Alan_Hepburn wrote:
These speed limit threads are entertaining! I'm one of those "john donkeys" who follow the 55 mph limit pretty closely. I've been driving since 1965, and towing things since 1971 so I've got a few miles under my belt. My cruise control is usually set on 58 mph when on the freeways, because that's what I feel is a good compromise between safety and economy. In all the years I've been driving I can't recall a single instance when people have flipped me off for my speed, or driven up my tailpipe. I don't know if I'm just lucky or what - people seem to be able to pass me with no drama.

I also try to pull over if I've got cars behind me on a 2-lane road - but I make sure I can do it safely, and I signal my intentions.

Alan, I was on Hwy #99 Lodi and passing a semi, I put my right turn signal on and passed the semi, then I turned into the right lane and a car got between me and the semi (tailgating me I couldn't see him) until he honked and showed me his IQ! I just figured he just got done watching a episode of the Beverly Hillbillies before he got into his car. I blew him a kiss as he passed me!

Lived in and towed in Calif for 70 years (50 towing) and I just simply run with the trucks. If they slow down, I slow down. Back and forth LA - SF the average speed on I-5 for moho's / trucks towing is 59-61 MPH. Pretty consistant. 59-61 works well for me as that keeps me in top gear.

BTW, I am one of those who can't tell the difference in fuel MPG at 55 or at 65. The difference isn't measurable, at least not on short trips i.e. one or two fill ups. Ca. to Co. I travel 62-65 and get the same as when in Ca.@ 59-61

I still smile at the ones who don't know how to pass. I was on hiway 12 going from Lodi to Fairfield CA. The road is 2 lane with passing or slow traffic lanes. If I had someone behind me I would use the left "climbing" lane and slow down because they were not to long to give cars a chance to get around me. I noticed that this one car was still behind me after several of these. When we came to the area outside Fairfield where it opened to 4 lanes the car roared around me shaking his fist. Not the only one saw the same in ability to drive in northern California two.
Bill

msmith1199 wrote:

Alan_Hepburn wrote:
These speed limit threads are entertaining! I'm one of those "john donkeys" who follow the 55 mph limit pretty closely. I've been driving since 1965, and towing things since 1971 so I've got a few miles under my belt. My cruise control is usually set on 58 mph when on the freeways, because that's what I feel is a good compromise between safety and economy. In all the years I've been driving I can't recall a single instance when people have flipped me off for my speed, or driven up my tailpipe. I don't know if I'm just lucky or what - people seem to be able to pass me with no drama.

I also try to pull over if I've got cars behind me on a 2-lane road - but I make sure I can do it safely, and I signal my intentions.

You live in San Jose and you've never been tailgated? Really?

Yup - I try to keep to the right-hand lane and I've never witnessed a horn-honk or a finger waved in my direction, except for a couple of guys who were merging onto the freeway at about 40 mph when the right lane was moving at the speed limit. I couldn't move over, and traffic was heavy enough that I didn't want to slow the entire lane down so I held my spot - they finally looked over at me when it was the last possible moment before they were on the shoulder. The driver hit the brakes, pulled in behind me, then recklessly pulled into the next lane, doing about 35; sped up to 65 and waved as they went by - why they couldn't have displayed that impressive acceleration when they were trying to merge will forever remain a mystery...

nevadanick wrote:
The split speed limits like Ca has are in my mind one of the most dangerous laws there are. Lots of people taking chances passing slow moving vehicles on 2 lane roads.

I think you are absolutely right. even on the freeway. You have one bunch doing 55-60 then a bunch doing 75-80. When the hot rods get held up by the slower group they start taking chances pulling over left in front of cars traveling much faster. I had plenty of opportunity to observe driving 55 saw many close calls.
Bill