California's "Basic Speed Law" says you must:
- Keep your speed close to that of other traffic.
- Never drive faster than is safe for current conditions. ✓
- Always drive at the posted speed limit.
Answer: B. 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 states the rule directly: in California you may never drive faster than is safe for the conditions, and this is called the Basic Speed Law. It then tells you to manage your speed and slow down when conditions call for it. The posted limit does not decide your speed on its own. Your speed should depend on things like how many vehicles are on the road, the road surface, bicyclists or pedestrians, weather, and congestion.
Why the other answers are wrong
- A. Keep your speed close to that of other traffic. — Matching other traffic is only one of the things the handbook lists as affecting your speed, not the rule itself — the law is about driving no faster than conditions allow.
- C. Always drive at the posted speed limit. — The handbook says that regardless of the posted speed limit, your speed should depend on the conditions, so the posted limit is not a speed you must always drive.
Remember it
Think of the sign as a ceiling, not a target: conditions decide your actual speed, so ask yourself whether the road, weather and traffic right now make that speed safe.