SPEED LAWS SCHOOL
SPEED
LIMIT
Speed limits on most roadways are 15
established through procedures in the WHEN
CHILDREN SPEED
California Vehicle Code and federal laws. ARE PRESENT
LIMIT
Speed limit signs, indicating speed limits
for which posting is required by law, shall 25
be located at points of change from one
speed limit to another.
In California, the maximum speed limit in
urban areas is 65 MPH. Certain speed
limits are established by State law and
include the 25 MPH speed limit in business
and residential districts. These speed limits
do not need to be posted in order to be FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT enforced. Special speed limits :are
established within 500 feet of school THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT AT:
SU
grounds which are typically 15 MPH to 25
MPH when children are present. School (831) 758-7241
SPE
zones can be further reduced to 15 MPH
L
Fax:
Temporary speed limit reductions can 5
be established in construction zones, (831) 758-7935
usually no more than 10 MPH. WHEN
CHILDRE
ARE PRESE Office Address:
200 Lincoln Ave, 2ND Floor,
Salinas, CA, 93901
Regular Hours: SALINAS
SCHOOL Monday: 8:00 am-5:00 pm RICH IN LAND | RICH IN VALUES Tuesday: 8:00 am-5:00 pm PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT
Wednesday: 8:00 am-5:00 pm
200 Lincoln Ave.
Thursday: 8:00 am-5:00 pm Salinas, CA 93901
Friday: 8:00 am-5:00 pm
September 2019
Saturday: Closed
SPEED MISCONCEPTIONS
ENGINEERING / LIMIT
30 TRAFFIC SURVEYS "How come the City doesn't install limit signs with lower speed limits to slow down traffic?"
The City of Salinas routinely certifies
Engineering and Traffic Surveys which This is a misconception. Many before and after establish speed limits in accordance with state studies have found that changing the speed limit and federal standards. Engineering and Traffic signs does not change how fast Americans Surveys are generally conducted every 5 years drive. The best known study is Report No.
THE PURPOSE OF
for every non-local roadway to establish speed FHWA-RD-92-084: The Effects of Raising and limits. The survey includes an analysis of SPEED LIMITS Lowering the Speed Limits. The Federal roadway conditions, collision records and a Department of Transportation conducted a sampling of the prevailing speed of traffic. study of speed limits to determine the effects on Speed limits are generally set at the 5 mile per A speed limit sign is a federal device, and such traffic flow. The study looked at data from 100 hour increment closest to the measure 85th sites in 22 states where speed limits were either as the City of Salinas, and every other posting
percentile speed. This practice established the raised or lowered. Counter to many people's authority, must comply with the federal
maximum speed limit that is safe and requirements set forth in the Uniform Vehicle preconception, the study found changes in reasonable. If an engineering and traffic survey speed limits had such little effect on driver Code (UVC). The uniform vehicle code establishes
is not performed within the required time speeds that is statistically insufficient. Changing that, "No person shall drive a vehicle at a speed
frame, posted speed limits are no longer valid speed limit signs does not change driver greater than is reasonable and prudent." In the
and cannot be enforced effectively. behavior.
United States, there are 80,000 posting
authorities and about 4 milion miles of roads, how
would a person know what is expected of them, or
the penalties as they go from sign to sign? The
UVC establishes the rules for which posting
authorities shall conform to when establishing
posted speed limits.
Speed limits are established using Engineering
SPÈED
LIMIT and Traffic Surveys which measure the prevailing SPEED 25 speeds of roadway users. These studies LIMIT
determine a reasonable and maximum speed 65
YOUR
SPEED limit. The use of Engineering and Traffic Surveys to establish speed limits is not only a federal RADAR
ENFORCED
requirement, it also lowers the risk of accidents.
Without a uniform process to establish speed
limits, how would drivers know what speeds are
considered reasonable or police officers be able
to enforce drivers traveling at reasonable speeds?