The Dangers of Driving Too Slowly

It’s no secret that driving above the posted speed limit is dangerous. That said, driving too slowly can also lead to crashes.

Sometimes, a slow driver will cause a minor rear-end accident. In more severe cases, slow driving can result in traffic fatalities.

Have you been hurt in a wreck because someone was driving slowly? Compensation may be available if so. Learn more about your legal options by contacting our car accident team today for a free consultation. The Dangers of Driving Too Slowly

Why Slow Driving Creates Serious Road Hazards

Slow drivers may assume that driving slowly always results in improved safety. However, excessively slow driving blocks traffic and can result in hazards due to the following:

Disrupting the flow of traffic: Other drivers may be traveling according to the flow of traffic, a flow that can be disrupted when someone is driving too slowly, particularly in the left lane or other such passing lane.
Increased risk of rear-end collisions: Motorists may anticipate that those around them will generally drive within a few miles per hour of the speed limit. If a driver ahead of a motorist is driving slower than expected, the motorist traveling according to the speed limit may be at risk of rear-ending the slow vehicle.
Unexpected speed variations that surprise other drivers: Safe driving is often synonymous with predictable driving. Someone traveling at a speed significantly below the posted speed limit may cause a motor vehicle accident by forcing drivers to react quickly to unexpected situations.

Even an alert and adaptive driver may struggle to avoid an accident when they encounter slow drivers on the road. If you’ve been injured in an accident caused by erratic driving, contact Munley Law for a free consultation.

Understanding Negligent Slow Driving

Negligence on the road doesn’t just involve breaking traffic laws. It involves putting others at risk by failing to exercise the basic reasonable care any motorist should exercise. Driving below the speed limit to such an extent that it creates hazardous driving conditions for other motorists could qualify as negligence.

Some types of drivers may be more prone to slow driving than others. They include:

Distracted drivers
Inexperienced new drivers
Elderly drivers with reduced reaction times
Rubberneckers causing traffic disruptions

Regardless of why they were driving so slowly, if you were injured because a slow driver was negligent, you may be eligible to receive compensation. Our experienced attorneys can help you understand your legal rights.

Legal Implications of Driving Below the Speed Limit

Slow driving can be so dangerous that many states have laws addressing it. For example, in Pennsylvania, it’s illegal to drive so slowly that one impedes “the normal and reasonable movement of traffic.”

Someone who drives too slowly may face a traffic violation charge. An excessively slow driver may also be considered liable in a car accident case. Under the legal principle of negligence per se, if someone was injured because another party was violating a safety law, typically, it’s assumed the party violating the law was negligent. As such, proving negligence isn’t necessary in this type of personal injury case.

However, the law doesn’t specifically state exactly how slowly a driver must be traveling to qualify as driving too slowly. You may believe you have a case against a slow driver, but absent a conviction or guilty plea, you might wonder if they were driving slowly enough to be considered negligent.

Unsure about your legal standing? Speak with a Munley Law attorney today.

Proving Negligence in Slow Driving Accidents

To prove negligence when a slow driver causes an accident, you must establish:

The driver owed you a duty of care
They breached this duty by failing to exercise reasonable care
You suffered injuries and losses as a result of their actions

A conviction or guilty plea for slow driving may establish negligence on its own. Otherwise, proving liability typically requires gathering multiple forms of evidence, including photos and footage from the scene, analysis of the police report, statements from witnesses, and, in complex cases, input from accident reconstruction experts.

Building a case against a negligent motorist isn’t something you need to do on your own. Let our legal team investigate the details of your accident.

Safe Strategies for Dealing with Slow Drivers

If you encounter slow drivers, responding to them safely could involve:

Practicing defensive driving techniques: Approach a slow driver relatively slowly yourself. You don’t want to drive so slowly that you create a hazard, but you should reduce your speed so that you can monitor the behavior of the slow driver and react accordingly.
Passing safely: Only pass in the left lane or passing lane if you have the option. If a slow driver is occupying the far left lane, approach very cautiously and pass on the right when it’s safe to do so.
Maintaining proper following distance: One of the simplest ways to determine if you’re following a vehicle too closely is to pick a fixed object ahead of you, like a tree or traffic sign, and count how many seconds elapse between when the driver ahead of you passes the object and when you pass it. You should be able to count to at least three. If you can’t, slow down to allow for more distance.

Following the advice here can reduce your odds of being hurt in car accidents resulting from slow drivers. That said, nothing can guarantee a slow or distracted driver won’t put you in harm’s way.

Appropriate Times to Drive Slowly

There may be circumstances when driving slowly is permitted for safety purposes or to comply with another law. The following are examples of situations and settings in which slow driving may be appropriate:

Construction zones
School zones
Adverse weather conditions
Residential areas

The above list highlights an important point: The locations where car accidents occur can significantly influence liability issues.