What is considered to be speeding in California?

Our Blog,personal injury | September 21, 2017

Speeding may not seem like a serious offense, because so many people do it all the time. The problem with speeding is that it could cause an otherwise relatively harmless accident to turn into a fatal collision or one with serious repercussions.

Every time a vehicle speeds up, there is a higher risk of more serious injuries. The faster a vehicle goes, the more likely it is that an injury will be serious and require hospitalization. In particularly fast collisions, it’s not uncommon to see fatal injuries and deaths.

There are laws that set a maximum speed limit in each area. Normally, you can see the speed limit on a sign. This posted limit is as fast as you should go. Even a single mile per hour faster than the posted limit means you’re violating the law.

Some states have specific speed limits, so you can know what the speed limit is even if you don’t see a sign. For instance, in Ohio, all residential areas are typically 25 to 35 mph. This isn’t the case in California. Instead, there is a posted limit and presumed speed limit violations. It’s expected that individuals will take into consideration their circumstances when deciding how fast to travel. That means that someone going 35 mph in a 25-mph zone could argue that the circumstances made traveling faster safe. It also means someone traveling 25 mph in a 25-mph zone could be accused of speeding if the weather is extremely poor.

If you’re hit by a speeding driver, you can pursue a claim because of his or her negligence. You shouldn’t have to suffer because a person is driving too fast for the conditions. Learn more by consulting a skilled car accident lawyer in Sacramento, CA.

Source: FindLaw, “Speeding,” accessed Sep. 19, 2017