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| Angelika/Mike Schilli |
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Michael I had already written that on California highways, the speed limit is usually 65 miles per hour (100 km/h). However, on weekdays, outside of rush hours, hardly anyone adheres to this limit -- 85 mph (130 km/h) is more common. You can do this safely as long as you're not the only speeder on the road, because in America, there are no speed cameras.
Instead, a police officer in an officially marked patrol car has to park on the side of the highway, measure a passing car's speed with a radar gun, chase the speeder, catch them, pull them over, and issue a ticket by hand. This takes a good 20 minutes, so if there are maybe 5 patrol cars between San Jose and San Francisco, the chance of getting caught speeding is almost zero. You usually see the police car from a distance, and then the whole line of cars magically slows down, only to speed back up to 85 shortly after.
It's only dangerous to drive faster than everyone else or to keep changing lanes. That stands out, and it can also happen that a police car or motorcycle cop comes up from behind faster than everyone else. In that scenario, you need to be careful and keep an eye on the rearview mirror. If it does happen that a "Ford" brand car, model "Crown Victoria," with flashing lights is following you, you should immediately pull over to the right and stop on the shoulder, even on the highway, if it's safe to do so. It's also very important to stay calm and not get out of the car, as police officers in America are allergic to any kind of sudden movements. When the officer gets out and approaches the car (on the highway, by the way, they approach on the passenger side), you roll down the window, and if he says "License and registration please," you hand over your driver's license and vehicle registration. If the latter is in the glove compartment, it's advisable to open it with a quick hand movement -- but only if you want to hear the sound of a cocking hammer and look into the barrel of a handgun. By the way, police officers in the US don't collect any fines; that is done via a transfer, and any waving of cash is considered bribery, so be careful. If you receive a "ticket" for speeding, you get penalty points in California, which not only go on your driving record but are also 100% certain to be reported to your auto insurance. The insurance then promptly raises the premium. However, you can work off the points by attending traffic school. Usually, this involves sitting in a classroom for a few hours on a Saturday, listening to accident statistics and driving tips, but recently, in some counties, you can also work through a traffic rules catalog online, take a test in the form of a webpage, and if you pass, have the points removed. That's progress!
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