California: Résumé rapide

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Licensing basics

A minor cannot apply for an instruction permit until reaching 15½ years of age.
A driver under 18 must be at least 16 years old before a driver's license can be issued.
A minor must hold a California or out-of-state instruction permit for at least six months, or reach age 18, before the drive test can be scheduled.
Minors must log at least 50 hours of practice with a California-licensed driver who is at least 25 years old.
Ten of the 50 required practice hours must take place at night so the new driver gains experience in darkness.
Provisional drivers are barred from driving between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. for their first 12 months of licensed driving.
Applicants under 18 must complete a driver education program as one of the conditions for an instruction permit.
A license issued to someone under 18 is marked provisional, which signals that extra restrictions apply.
The waiting period for a minor to retake a failed drive test is 14 days, and the day of the failure is not included in the count.

Alcohol & drugs

The legal limit for drivers over 21 is a BAC of 0.08%. Reaching it is enough for a DUI charge.
Drivers under 21 face a near-zero limit of 0.01%, far stricter than the adult limit.
A 0.04% BAC is illegal for drivers of vehicles that require a commercial driver's license and for anyone driving a passenger for hire.
The officer may confiscate your license and issue a temporary one that lasts 30 days.
DUI convictions remain on the record for 10 years, and another DUI within that period can bring an extra penalty from the court or DMV.
The table defines one drink as 1.5 oz. of 80 proof liquor, 12 oz. of 5% beer, or 5 oz. of 12% wine, since each contains a similar amount of alcohol.
The request must reach DMV within 10 days of the arrest date, a very short window.
A PAS result of 0.05% or higher lets the officer require a breath or blood test, and a confirmed 0.05% or higher can mean arrest and suspension.

Driving record & points

An adult's license may be suspended at 4 points in 12 months, 6 points in 24 months, or 8 points in 36 months.
You may choose traffic violator school for a one-point violation once in any 18-month period.
Signing a traffic ticket is a promise to appear in traffic court, not an admission of guilt.
A failure to appear can lead DMV to suspend your driving privilege until you appear in court, and the FTA itself goes on your driver's record.

Financial responsibility & insurance

California requires at least $30,000 of coverage for a single death or injury.
The minimum rises to $60,000 when a collision kills or injures more than one person.
Policies must cover at least $15,000 in property damage.
A DMV report is due within 10 days when damage tops $1,000 or anyone is injured or killed, even if the injury is minor.
You have 20 days to register the vehicle once you become a California resident or take a job in the state.
Being uninsured in a collision can cost up to four years of driving, and fault does not matter.
You must stop. Driving away from a collision is a hit-and-run, and conviction carries severe punishment.

Speed & following distance

Certain school zones are posted at 15 mph, lower than the usual 25 mph school limit.
Business and residential districts carry a 25 mph limit unless a posted sign states something different.
A wet surface calls for cutting your speed by about 5 to 10 mph and leaving extra following distance.
Packed snow calls for cutting your speed in half, and ice calls for no more than 5 mph.
The ideal maximum on most California highways is 65 mph, but it drops to 55 mph on two-lane undivided highways and for vehicles towing trailers.

Right of way & turning

Never make a U-turn when you cannot see clearly for 200 feet in each direction.
You may drive no more than 200 feet in a center left turn lane.
Once you start through an intersection or start a turn, follow through. If you miss a turn, keep driving until you can turn around safely and legally.

Parking rules

Straighten out once the rear wheel is within 18 inches of the curb. When finished, the vehicle should sit parallel and within 18 inches of the curb.
Never park within 15 feet of a fire hydrant or of a fire station driveway.
Parking is prohibited within 20 feet of a crosswalk, marked or not, so drivers can see people crossing.
The general rule is 20 feet, but where a curb extension already improves visibility, the distance is 15 feet.
Look for a gap at least three feet longer than your car, then signal to show that you plan to park.
Aim the wheels so a rolling vehicle would stay out of the roadway, leave it in park, and set the parking brake.

Seat belts & child safety

You and your passengers must wear seat belts, and if a passenger is under 16 years old the driver can also be ticketed.
Children who are 8 or older, or at least 4 feet 9 inches tall, may use a properly secured safety belt that meets federal standards.
It is illegal to leave a child six or younger alone in a vehicle, though the child may be supervised by someone who is at least 12 years old.
The shoulder strap belongs across the shoulder and chest, snug. Wearing it under your arm or behind your back can cause serious injury in a crash.
Heat builds fast inside a parked car even with a window slightly open, and too much heat exposure can cause dehydration, heat stroke, and death.

Railroad & light rail crossings

Limited visibility near a crossing lowers the limit to 15 mph within 100 feet of the tracks.
Gates, a warning signal, or a flagman controlling the crossing lift the 15 mph restriction.
Never make a U-turn at or on a railroad crossing.

Traffic signals

A right turn on red is allowed after you come to a complete stop, unless a NO TURN ON RED sign is posted.
You may not turn right against a red arrow. Wait for the signal to turn green.
A left turn on red is allowed only from a one-way street onto another one-way street, provided no sign prohibits it. Yield to anyone who has a green light.

Freeway driving

The left or fast lane is the Number 1 Lane; the lane to its right is Number 2, then Number 3, and so on.
Passing is prohibited within 100 feet of an intersection, bridge, tunnel, railroad crossing, or other hazardous area.
Once you are in the proper lane, signal about five seconds (roughly 400 feet) ahead of the exit.
Use the left lane to pass or turn left. Use the right lane to enter or exit traffic, or when you join the road from a curb or shoulder.

Sharing the road

State law requires a helmet for any bicyclist under the age of 18.
The handbook gives 300 feet as the stopping distance for an average passenger vehicle at 55 mph.
At the same 55 mph, a large vehicle can take up to 400 feet to stop, far more than a car.
NEVs and LSVs top out at 25 mph, so plan on passing or adjusting your speed around them.
The required front lamp must throw a white light that can be seen from 300 feet away.
Rear red reflectors or lights must be visible from 500 feet so drivers behind can see the rider in time.

Signals & vehicle controls

Signal at least 100 feet before you make a turn.
Dim your high beams to low beams within 500 feet of any vehicle coming toward you.
On narrow mountain roads, use your horn to alert oncoming traffic wherever you cannot see at least 200 feet ahead.
Turn on your headlights when it is too dark to see 1,000 feet away.
Use headlights beginning 30 minutes after sunset and keep them on until 30 minutes before sunrise.

Distracted driving

The handbook is explicit: do not send or read text messages or emails while you are driving.
It is illegal to drive while wearing a headset or earplugs covering both ears, because you must be able to hear horns, sirens and other warnings.
A mounted phone must sit on the windshield, dashboard, or center console and must not obstruct your view of the road.

Pedestrian rights

Pedestrians are given the right-of-way, yet they must also follow traffic rules rather than step out carelessly.
Eye contact from a pedestrian is a sign that they intend to cross, so give them the right-of-way.
Crosswalks are usually marked with white lines, but school crossings may use yellow lines.

Emergencies and special situations

Warn following traffic with your emergency flashers, three or four light taps on the brake pedal, and a hand signal as you slow or stop.
Pull completely off the road away from traffic if possible; if you cannot, stop where you and your vehicle are visible to traffic coming from behind.

Emergency vehicles & work zones

Fines double in designated double fine zones and in highway construction or maintenance areas when workers are present.
Drivers must move over and slow down for stopped emergency vehicles, tow trucks, and road work vehicles displaying flashing amber or emergency lights.

Seniors and driving

Drivers who are 70 or older when their license expires must renew in person and pass a vision test. Other exams may be required in some cases.
The program is an eight-hour course open to drivers 55 and older, offered by DMV-approved providers. Your insurer may give a discount for completing it.