Driving

A few things you may not know about driving in California:

• California law requires that drivers and all passengers wear a safety belt while riding in a motor vehicle. The driver is responsible for its passengers and will get a ticket if the passengers are found not wearing a safety belt while you are driving. You cannot transport anyone if they are not buckled up.
• Holding and talking on a cell phone while driving is not yet illegal but it soon will be, so find a way of attaching your cell phone to the car, so both hands are free to drive!
• To obtain a driver's license, you must be 16 years old and pass a written and driving test. Apply through your local DMV. To find your nearest office, see the list of DMV offices by location.
• The Turning Right Rule - you can turn right on a red light at an intersection after coming to a full stop, unless there is a sign saying you can't turn right on red.
• California has strict smog requirements. You will need a smog certificate to register your vehicle if you're bringing it in from out of state.

Driving in California is no different from driving anywhere else in the US. The roads are generally well-maintained, wide and easy to navigate. Speed limits vary between 65 and 70 mph out of town, and anywhere between 25 and 40 mph in towns. If you're coming from out of the US, just remember we drive on the right-hand side here!

The prices of gas these days is enough to make you think twice before taking the car out for a spin (not to mention those carbon emissions)!  If you have to drive, check out GasBuddy.com which will allow you to find the cheapest gas in your area by typing in your zip code,

If you are bringing your car in from out of state you will need to register it within a short period of time after your arrival. Full information and relevant forms can be found at www.dmv.ca.gov.

You must get a California driver license within 10 days of moving here. If you have a license from another country, you will be required to take a driving test. If you have a license from another state, the driving test can be waived and you will just have to pass a traffic laws and sign test. We can make an appointment for you at the DMV to facilitate this procedure.

If you need to buy a car once you're here, a good place to go is Craigslist where you will find many second-hand cars for sale privately. To get an idea of what you should be paying for a new or used car, go to the Kelley Blue Book.  Once you have found a car you like, it's a good idea to get a background history on it.  Just go to Carfax and type in the VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) and it will send you a report for $24.99 - worth it if you're not sure where it's been.

And if you want to use the commuter lane on the freeway to get you to work faster (between 5-9 a.m. and 3-7 p.m.) you need to have at least 2 people in your car. If carpooling appeals for this reason, go to the Carpooling Web site for the San Francisco Bay area.

See the DMV for Information For Persons New To California.

Public Transport

Quite frankly, public transport in Silicon Valley could be a LOT better! It's no wonder that people tend to drive everywhere. A two car household is a very common phenomenon as both spouses need their own car to get around. The bus timetable is very irregular and going from A to B may take three different routes.

There is a BART train which is good for commuting along the East Bay into San Francisco, check out the Bart map.

Want to know how to get from A to B by public transport? Go to Transit.500.org and put in your starting and finishing address. It will give you the various ways of getting there, how long it will take and how much it will cost.

Other public transport systems are the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority or VTA which provides bus and light rail in the Bay Area and Caltrain, a train service from Gilroy to San Francisco stopping at the main communities en route. See the Caltrain map for more information.

And if you need to go back home for a visit, Silicon Valley is served by two international airports - San Jose Mineta Airport and San Francisco Airport.

Bicycling

For environmental and physical fitness reasons, more and more people are commuting to work - by bike. Silicon Valley is slowly recognizing the need for more bike lanes on busy roads to encourage cyclists to leave their car at home, so please consider this alternative when looking at your route to work. See Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition for more information about bicycling in Silicon Valley.

And the City of Sunnyvale has bike maps available in PDF format to download. Or call them on (408) 730-7415 and they'll mail one to you.

Useful Information

• Turn Right on Red from Wikipedia
• Check current road conditions at the California Dept of Transportation Web site
• California Department of Motor Vehicles
• Download the California Driver Handbook (PDF) from the California Dept of Motor Vehicles
• San Francisco International Airport
• Mineta San Jose International Airport