California's "Basic Speed Law" says:
- You should never drive faster than posted speed limits.
- You should never drive faster than is safe for current conditions. ✓
- The maximum speed limit in California is 70 mph on certain freeways.
Answer: B. You should never drive faster than is safe for current conditions.
The Basic Speed Law means you must never drive faster than is safe for the current road conditions.
Why this is the answer
The handbook defines the Basic Speed Law as never driving faster than is safe for the current road conditions. It says speed should depend on traffic, road surface, bicyclists or pedestrians, weather, and congestion. It also says that regardless of the posted speed limit, your speed should depend on those conditions. That makes safe-for-conditions the rule, not just matching or staying under a posted number.
Why the other answers are wrong
- A. You should never drive faster than posted speed limits. — This misses the law's point: the handbook says your speed should depend on current conditions regardless of the posted limit, so the sign alone does not set your safe speed.
- C. The maximum speed limit in California is 70 mph on certain freeways. — A 70 mph freeway maximum is not what the Basic Speed Law defines, and the passage instead gives 65 mph as the ideal maximum on most highways and 55 mph in the listed situations.
Remember it
Ask yourself what the road, weather, and traffic allow right now, not just what the sign says.
Official handbook: California Driver Handbook (DL 600), Section 8: Safe Driving, p. 67