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Can You Get a Ticket For Driving Too Slow?

Everyone that is currently able to drive knows all too well that you can get pulled over for exceeding the limit, in fact, most of us have probably gotten tickets for doing so. But driving slower than the speed limit is a common occurrence as well. But can you get a ticket for driving too …

Everyone that is currently able to drive knows all too well that you can get pulled over for exceeding the limit, in fact, most of us have probably gotten tickets for doing so. But driving slower than the speed limit is a common occurrence as well. But can you get a ticket for driving too slow?

There are laws regarding driving slow

Believe it or not, just like there are laws in place to discourage you from driving too fast, there are also laws against driving too slow. For example, here is what the law says in a couple of different states:

  • Utah: Drivers may not drive a vehicle at a speed so slow as to impede or block the normal movement of traffic.
  • Idaho: It is against the law to travel “at such a slow speed as to impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic.” It is also required that slower-moving vehicles move out of the far left lane.

We could list more state laws, however, you probably get the point. If a car is traveling at a slow rate of speed that impedes traffic, the driver can get a ticket just they would if they were speeding.

An officer and a handheld radar gun
Maine State Police Sgt. George Denison checks vehicles approaching the Maine Turnpike’s exit 6A with a handheld laser gun | Photo by Doug Jones/Portland Press Herald via Getty Images

Why is driving slow dangerous?

In addition to impeding the flow of traffic, driving too slow can cause the drivers behind you (who are driving faster) to not see your car in time enough to slow down properly. This can lead to a rear-end accident that wouldn’t have happened if you just sped up or got over into the far-right lane.

Additionally, drivers that drive too slow car typically seen as a nuisance by the drivers around them and this can easily invoke road rage. According to The Zebra, “Over a seven-year period of time, more than 200 murders and 12,000 injuries were attributed to road rage.” You wouldn’t want to be the cause of that now, would you?

A Ford Ranger truck rushes through "The Orange Crush" freeway intersection in Orange, CA,
An older Ford Ranger | David McNew/Newsmakers

What kind of people drive too slow?

While we have been guilty of driving too slow at least one time or another, there are groups of drivers that are more likely to be caught driving slow and possibly getting a ticket for doing so.

  • Distracted Drivers: Drivers that still use their cell phones, as opposed to using their car’s Bluetooth capability, can typically be seen driving too slow.
  • Tourists: Many of the drivers that you encounter might be tourists who are easily distracted by the sight-seeing opportunities around them or could even be lost.
  • New drivers: Student drivers that not used to the daily task have a tendency to drive slowly.
  • Senior drivers: Older drivers tend to drive slow in order to make up for their slower reaction times.
A teen driver in the middle of a driving lesson
Teen Driver and instructor | JEAN-FRANCOIS MONIER/AFP via Getty Images

Can you get a ticket for driving too slow with your emergency flashers on?

Technically, yes. The emergency flashers that your car is equipped with are to be used when your vehicle is stopped on the side of the road. While they can be used to warn the cars around you that there is an issue with your car, they also disable your car’s turn signals, which can confuse other drivers if you’re planning to pull off to the side of the road.

While there are different laws in different states regarding this situation, it is possible for you to get a ticket for driving too slowly with your emergency lights on.

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