You are driving on a freeway with a posted speed limit of 65 mph. Traffic is traveling at 70 mph. You may legally drive:
- 70 mph or faster to keep up with the speed of traffic.
- Between 65 mph and 70 mph.
- No faster than 65 mph. ✓
Answer: C. No faster than 65 mph.
You may legally drive no faster than 65 mph.
Why this is the answer
The handbook sets the Basic Speed Law: never drive faster than is safe for current conditions, and unless otherwise posted, 65 mph is the maximum on most California highways. With a 65 mph sign, that is your ceiling. The handbook also says your speed should depend on how fast other vehicles are going, but that does not make their 70 mph a legal permission for you to exceed the posted limit. It can mean you should slow down, not speed up.
Why the other answers are wrong
- A. 70 mph or faster to keep up with the speed of traffic. — Traffic moving at 70 mph does not make that speed legal for you; the handbook says to consider the speed of other vehicles, not to exceed the posted maximum to match them.
- B. Between 65 mph and 70 mph. — Driving between 65 mph and 70 mph still goes above the 65 mph posted maximum, and the handbook gives no allowance to exceed it just to flow with traffic.
Remember it
Treat the sign as a cap, not a target: faster traffic around you is a reason to adjust, not a reason to go over.
Official handbook: California Driver Handbook (DL 600), Section 8: Safe Driving, p. 67