# Yellow Speed Limit Signs (US) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 13, 2006, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yellow-speed-limit-signs-us/376344 "2006-10-13T19:05:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2006, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yellow-speed-limit-signs-us/376344/41 "2006-10-16T03:03:09Z")
First of all, **Rick** qualified his opinion from the get-go by noting it was applicable to California, only. Second of all, he is CORRECT. If you are breaking a “speed” law, you are “speeding,” that is, going too fast. The language of the code section doesn’t talk about reckless driving. It talks about going faster than you are allowed. The fact that the definition doesn’t set a specific numerical limit doesn’t change the fac that you were going too fast, i.e., speeding. Or, to put it another way: If I was to try and defend you on the basis that you were not “reckless” (that is, wanton or willful disregard of safety), I would be unsuccessful. However, I would be potentially successful in getting you off the hook for violation of the reckless driving statutes cited by **Rick**. Yes, perhaps this is simply being definitional, but, frankly, that’s ALL the law is, usually. I, and I think most people, define “speeding” as “going too fast.” Violating §22350 means you were “going too fast,” i.e.: speeding. To assert anything else is simply to refuse to face the facts of the unpleasant truth that you were not adequately informed about CA laws. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![A.R.Cane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@A.R.Cane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A.R.Cane)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2006, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yellow-speed-limit-signs-us/376344/42 "2006-10-16T03:27:28Z")
Very impressive language until I got to this? Posted by DSYoungEsq: > [@](#): > > If I was to try and defend you… ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2006, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yellow-speed-limit-signs-us/376344/43 "2006-10-16T03:48:14Z")
[QUOTE=DSYoungEsq] If you are breaking a “speed” law, you are “speeding,” that is, going too fast. [/QUOTE] Not necessarily; you could also be going too slow. Would you consider a ticket under the basic speed law in CA for going too slow “speeding”? [http://www.ci.pasadena.ca.us/trans/trafficoperations/speedlimit.asp](http://www.ci.pasadena.ca.us/trans/trafficoperations/speedlimit.asp) > [@](#): > > **Basic Speed Laws** > The “Basic Speed Law” for the State of California states that you must never drive faster than is safe for the conditions at the present time. Regardless of the posted speed limit indicated on a sign, the actual speed limit is affected by the number and speed of other vehicles, the surface of the road, the distance you can see ahead of your vehicle, bicyclists or pedestrians on the edge of the road and even weather. This means that there is a time when driving the maximum posted speed limit is not safe. > > Obey the Posted Speed Limits > > The purpose of posted speed limits is to notify drivers of the maximum speed limit > on a roadway when ideal driving conditions are met. > > Driving Too Fast > > You should not drive beyond the posted speed limit even if you think it is safe because the posted speed limit also provides an enforceable tool for Police Officers who are trying to reach compliance for safety of all vehicles and pedestrians. The only time that you can exceed the posted speed limit (other than a “maximum” speed limit) is when you can demonstrate that your speed did not violate the Basic Speed Law at the time, place and conditions existing then. > > Driving Too Slow > > You must not drive so slowly that you are a danger on the road, or interfere with the normal or reasonable flow of traffic. You may be cited for driving too slow just as you can be cited for driving too fast. > > There are occasionally drivers attempting to obey the posted speed limit who may actually decrease safety by causing other drivers to make additional lane changes in order to get around slow traffic and/ or tailgate to try to speed up the traffic head. In these cases, the driver moving too slowly may cause harm to other motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists because traffic flowing at uniform speeds results in increased safety and fewer accidents. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2006, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yellow-speed-limit-signs-us/376344/44 "2006-10-16T13:49:01Z")
[QUOTE=Harmonix] wheres this? I’ve never seen it. [/QUOTE] Yikes. It’s been about fifteen years; maybe heading westbound on Army, taking the onramp to go north on 101? ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2006, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yellow-speed-limit-signs-us/376344/45 "2006-10-16T16:59:05Z")
**Telemark** , and **DSYoungESQ** Thank you! I was begining to think I had signed on to some bizarro world SDMB where everything was backward. 😃 One last question for those who still think that 22350 is not a speeding ticket. Let’s say you were cited and payed the fine for a violation of 22350. Then a year later went to change your auto insurance. When the question on the app comes up "Have you had any traffic tickets in the last 3 years you answer yes. The agent then asks What was the ticket for? You reply It was a \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ ticket. Please fill in the blank. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2006, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yellow-speed-limit-signs-us/376344/46 "2006-10-16T17:45:00Z")
[QUOTE=Rick] The agent then asks What was the ticket for? You reply It was a \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ ticket. Please fill in the blank. 🙂 [/QUOTE] I would probably want to emphasize that I wasn’t breaking an objective law but a subjective one where the officer made a judgement call, so I would respond with “it was a ticket for driving unsafe for conditions”. The website for the city of Pasadena that I linked to above, has “Driving Too Slow” under the bolded “Basic Speed Laws”. Does that make a ticket for driving too slow a speeding ticket, in your opinion? ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2006, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yellow-speed-limit-signs-us/376344/47 "2006-10-16T17:51:05Z")
**x-ray vision** - give up. **Rick** is free to pick his own definitions, and we’ll never convince him that this is all he’s doing. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Harmonix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonix)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2006, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yellow-speed-limit-signs-us/376344/48 "2006-10-16T18:05:56Z")
[QUOTE=Ethilrist] Yikes. It’s been about fifteen years; maybe heading westbound on Army, taking the onramp to go north on 101? [/QUOTE] I am so looking for this today. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2006, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yellow-speed-limit-signs-us/376344/49 "2006-10-16T18:12:40Z")
[QUOTE=x-ray vision] I would probably want to emphasize that I wasn’t breaking an objective law but a subjective one where the officer made a judgement call, so I would respond with “it was a ticket for driving unsafe for conditions”. The website for the city of Pasadena that I linked to above, has “Driving Too Slow” under the bolded “Basic Speed Laws”. Does that make a ticket for driving too slow a speeding ticket, in your opinion? [/QUOTE] No for the simple reason that you are not being cited under a City of Pasadena code section, you are being cited under CVC. 22350 says nothing about driving too slow for conditions. Need some more straw? ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2006, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yellow-speed-limit-signs-us/376344/50 "2006-10-16T18:22:17Z")
[QUOTE=Rick] No for the simple reason that you are not being cited under a City of Pasadena code section, you are being cited under CVC. 22350 says nothing about driving too slow for conditions. Need some more straw? [/QUOTE] I don’t understand your arguement. The website I linked to is a government website and it says that you can get a ticket for driving too slow, and that is listed under “basic speed laws”. Using your earlier arguement, a ticket for driving too slow would be considered a speeding ticket. ---
**Author:** ![groman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@groman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/groman)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2006, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yellow-speed-limit-signs-us/376344/51 "2006-10-16T19:18:14Z")
[QUOTE=Rick] When the question on the app comes up "Have you had any traffic tickets in the last 3 years you answer yes. The agent then asks What was the ticket for? You reply It was a \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ ticket. Please fill in the blank. 🙂 [/QUOTE] Well, I’ve had this conversation and I said “It was a ticket for exceeding the speed limit”. But I don’t even know what we’re arguing about anymore, I do call them ‘speeding tickets’, but my argument all along is that even though there are several things called speeding tickets in California there can be a case made that some of them are fundamnetally different from others.. This whole reason is silly because simply some people view all tickets as the same, some people view tickets in two categories points and no points, and some people, like me and some of my friends (and I assume others as well) view tickets in two categories administrative and safety. Just like getting a ticket for parking on a hill without curbing your wheels properly is a ‘parking ticket’ and having an expired meter is a ‘parking ticket’ but they are two completely different animals. Just like fines and taxes are both fees paid to the government but for some reason people insist on making a distinction, right? Well, to me tickets for expired meters, carpool lanes and exceeding the speed limit are ‘taxes’ and tickets for excessive speed, unsafe parking and tailgating ‘fines’. Can’t we just agree to disagree? ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2006, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yellow-speed-limit-signs-us/376344/52 "2006-10-16T22:41:34Z")
[QUOTE=Rick] No for the simple reason that you are not being cited under a City of Pasadena code section, you are being cited under CVC. 22350 says nothing about driving too slow for conditions. Need some more straw? [/QUOTE] Rick, I generally agree with the spirit of your argument, but since this discussion has now come down to mere semantics, I’ve got to disagree here. I believe Section 22350 absolutely covers driving too slow for conditions: > [@California Vehicle Code 22350](#): > > No person shall drive a vehicle upon a highway at a speed greater than is reasonable or prudent having due regard for weather, visibility, the traffic on, and the surface and width of, the highway, **and in no event at a speed which endangers the safety of persons or property** The bolded portion seems to be an incredibly broad statement that covers inappropriate speed, period. I don’t see why this wouldn’t include driving too slowly as well as excessive speed. ---
**Author:** ![groman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@groman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/groman)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2006, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yellow-speed-limit-signs-us/376344/53 "2006-10-16T23:41:48Z")
[QUOTE=Asimovian] Rick, I generally agree with the spirit of your argument, but since this discussion has now come down to mere semantics, I’ve got to disagree here. I believe Section 22350 absolutely covers driving too slow for conditions: The bolded portion seems to be an incredibly broad statement that covers inappropriate speed, period. I don’t see why this wouldn’t include driving too slowly as well as excessive speed. [/QUOTE] Even more specifically according to California Vehicle Code Section 22400 [(here)](http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d11/vc22400.htm) > [@](#): > > No person shall drive upon a highway at such a slow speed as to impede or block the normal and reasonable movement of traffic, unless the reduced speed is necessary for safe operation, because of a grade, or in compliance with law. Which is a subjective call about not only safety but also prudence of your speed. There is nothing here about speed limits so you can theoretically get cited for driving too slowly even if you are going faster than the speed limit. It is very unlikely, but it is possible. ---
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2006, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yellow-speed-limit-signs-us/376344/54 "2006-10-16T23:58:33Z")
[QUOTE=groman] There is nothing here about speed limits so you can theoretically get cited for driving too slowly even if you are going faster than the speed limit. [/quote] Er, what about the exception for driving slowly “in compliance with law”? ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2006, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yellow-speed-limit-signs-us/376344/55 "2006-10-17T00:10:54Z")
If you are cited for going too slowly, you are not speeding. I amend my prior comments to change the assertion that "if you are breaking a speed law you are ‘speeding’ " to comply with my much more cogent assertion later in my post that if you are cited for going “too fast” you are “speeding.” I trust that meets with everyone’s approval? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2006, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yellow-speed-limit-signs-us/376344/56 "2006-10-17T00:23:42Z")
Getting back to the OP, I’ve been told by someone who drove trucks for a living that the yellow advisory signs are primarily advice for truck drivers. You’ll often see these signs preceding curves in the road; obviously the mass of the truck requires more time to slow down, and too much speed on a curve can make a large vehicle tip over. Actually, here’s a better [cite](http://www.state.nj.us/mvc/About/manuals.htm). The NJ Driver Handbook describes such signs as advisory, and adds “When the maximum safe speed around a curve or turn is lower than the posted speed limit, an advisory speed sign is usued with the proper warning sign.” Interpret that as you will. ---
**Author:** ![groman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@groman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/groman)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2006, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yellow-speed-limit-signs-us/376344/57 "2006-10-17T00:39:14Z")
[QUOTE=Mr2001] Er, what about the exception for driving slowly “in compliance with law”? [/QUOTE] :smack: _starts writing on the board_ I will not attempt research and post BEFORE getting coffee. I will not attempt research and post BEFORE getting coffee. I will not attempt research and post BEFORE getting coffee. I will not attempt research and post BEFORE getting coffee. I will not attempt research and post BEFORE getting coffee. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yellow-speed-limit-signs-us/376344.md?page=2)