Driver's License Test Prep
California Practice Speed Limits

What is the speed limit when driving in an alley?

  1. A.
    25 mph
  2. B.
    35 mph
  3. C.
    15 mph Correct
The Why

The answer is "15 mph"

The manual sets 15 mph as the speed limit in an alley, treating it as a narrow access road behind buildings. The 25 mph choice comes from the business or residential district figure printed nearby; a driver who thinks of an alley as just another residential street applies that limit instead.

Why the others miss

The traps in the wrong answers

A. 25 mph

This is the business or residential district default, not the alley figure. This answer reasons that an alley behind houses is really just another residential street and applies that district default.

B. 35 mph

Above any figure the manual applies to alleys or residential roads. This answer carries a posted through-street speed into a narrow alley by treating both as ordinary neighborhood streets.

The Rule

This question tests your knowledge of Speed Limits in California. Source: California Driver Manual, "Alleys," p.51..

More from this topic

Related California questions

More than a book

You just took one California question apart. The book does it for the whole test.

The California book unlocks a free companion: an adaptive study plan, progress synced across your devices, a denser laminate cheat sheet, and a test-day walkthrough. Verify your copy once, usually in seconds; there's nothing extra to buy.

Get the book on Amazon

$18.99 paperback, free companion included.

Free study plan

Your free California study plan

A short run of study emails for the California DMV test: what to drill, the rules people trip on, and a final pre-test checklist. The printable cheat sheet is free to grab either way.

One email a few times a month. No spam, unsubscribe anytime. Privacy.