Can motorcycles split lanes? Can you text at a red light? These 5 California road laws rule

Hanh Truong
·3 min read
174

If you’re on the road, you probably already have a grasp on what you can and cannot do — at least other motorists are hoping you do.

But with so many laws in California, one or two of those road rules might slip through the cracks.

Here is our guide, with five things you might not already know about when driving in California.

Have your physical driver’s license with you

If you’re pulled over, a photo of your driver’s license isn’t going to fly.

Anita Gore, spokesperson for the DMV, told The Bee that physical versions of your driver’s license and vehicle registration card are required when asked by an officer.

“An individual who has a valid driver’s license and vehicle registration card, but does not have them at the time they are requested by a law enforcement officer, could be charged with an infraction or misdemeanor,” Gore said.

Don’t snooze on the left lane

If you’re on the left lane of the highway, pay attention to how fast you’re going, because if you’re going under the posted speed limit, you might get ticketed.

Otherwise:

“If a vehicle in the left lane is already driving 65 miles per hour, then they are by law going the maximum speed limit,” Officer Margarito Meza, a spokesman for CHP, told The Bee. “If someone behind them is driving 80 miles per hour, they (the slower vehicle) do not have to move over.”

If you do see the person being you is going faster, it’s common courtesy to let them pass you, Meza said.

Keep up with the speed of traffic

There will be times when highways will be packed with cars or the total opposite.

Either way, you should adjust your speed on the road depending on several factors, such as other cars’ speed, the number of cars on the road, street surface, weather conditions and traffic, according to the California Driver Handbook.

Henning Mortensen, the owner of Bond Driving School, told The Bee that there is a reasonable expectation to go faster or slower than the speed limit in certain situations.

That doesn’t mean you can speed. While it might be tempting to zoom past fellow cars on the road when the highway is clear, you should think twice.

Meza of CHP said sticking to the posted speed limit is the law. If you go past 1 mph of the speed limit, Meza said, an officer can issue a citation.

That motorcycle is allowed to split the lane

Lane splitting, when a motorcycle drives between stopped or moving cars in the same lane, is legal in California.

This is still illegal in most states, with California being the first to allow it in 2017.

“It should not be performed by inexperienced riders,” the CHP advises on its website. “The risk of death or serious injury during a lane splitting collision increases as speed and speed differential increases.”

Put your cellphone away

Unless you’re looking at your phone for navigation, your best bet is to leave it in your pocket or in your bag.

Since 2018, the California Vehicle Code states that a person cannot operate a car while holding a phone or electronic device. The only exception is if it’s voice-operated or in hands-free mode.

Section 23123.5 of the California Vehicle Code went into effect in January 2018. It states that a person cannot operate a motor vehicle while holding a handheld telephone or electronic device unless it is designed to allow voice-operated and hands-free use.

Essentially, the phone should be mounted up on the windshield or the driver is using a feature on their device with a single swipe or tap.

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