SR 76, 78, 79, 94 and 67: Driving the County's Two-Lane Highways

Long stretches of the state highways that connect the county's back country — SR 76 past Pala, SR 78 and SR 79 around Ramona and Julian, SR 94 east of Jamul, SR 67 toward Ramona — are two lanes with a painted line between you and oncoming traffic. They carry commuters, trucks, weekend visitors and people towing trailers, all at different speeds. The rules for sharing them are simple and widely ignored.

The five-car rule and the turnouts

Vehicle Code section 21656 says that on a two-lane highway where passing is unsafe, a vehicle moving slower than the normal flow, with five or more vehicles lined up behind it, must turn off at the nearest signed turnout or any spot with enough room to pull off safely, so the line can pass. The DMV handbook puts it the same way. It applies to the camper climbing toward Julian and to the cautious driver on an unfamiliar curve alike.

Using a turnout well means signalling early, slowing inside the turnout rather than on the road, and checking for traffic before you pull back out. A turnout is not a parking space.

Speed: 55 unless posted

The DMV handbook says that, unless otherwise posted, the maximum on most California highways is 65 mph, but it is 55 mph on a two-lane undivided highway and for vehicles towing trailers. The basic speed law still sits on top of that: your speed has to suit the curves, the traffic, the surface and the weather, so 55 is a ceiling, not a target, on a road with blind bends.

Passing: the decision that matters most

• Pass only where the markings allow it and you can see the whole distance you need, plus a margin.
• Hills and curves hide oncoming cars until it is too late; motorcycles are harder still to judge.
• If you have to accelerate hard and hope, the answer is no. Another passing zone or turnout is usually minutes away.
• When someone is passing you, ease off and let them in. Speeding up to "keep your place" is how the head-on happens.

The slow vehicles you will meet

Trucks with three or more axles and anything towing are limited to 55 mph, and on climbs they will be slower. Add cyclists on weekend mornings, farm and grove equipment in North County, and visitors who do not know the road. Patience is the safety feature these highways rely on.

When it goes wrong: what a head-on tests

Collisions on these roads happen at highway speed and are often head-on or run-off-road, which makes them severe. Two coverage points follow. First, California's minimum liability limits are $30,000 per person, $60,000 per accident and $15,000 for property damage, and a serious two-lane collision can exceed them quickly. When people ask us whether minimums are enough, roads like these are the reason we answer carefully.

Second, the "miss-and-run": an oncoming driver passing illegally forces you off the road and keeps going without touching your car. For uninsured motorist coverage to pay for injuries caused by an unidentified driver, Insurance Code section 11580.2 requires physical contact with your car. Damage to your car from swerving into a fence is your collision coverage; a witness's name and the other car's description are worth more than usual here.

If your commute or weekends run on these highways, let us compare quotes at higher liability limits; the difference is often smaller than people expect.