Slow driving is not an issue faced in a particular country; it’s omnipresent. In certain traffic situations, slow driving can be as dangerous as fast driving - for other drivers as well as for the driver himself. Whenever you travel on roads, there’ll always be a couple of slow drivers. It appears that the life goal of slow drivers is to spike up the blood pressure levels of other fellow drivers in annoyance.
The impact of slow driving?
You may not realise that a slow driver can be more dangerous than a speeding one. If you do not believe in the same, then keep reading to know some hard-hitting facts!
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When you move slowly, it not only affects other motorists’ patience but you’re also creating a safety issue to every motorist around you. This, in turn, increases the likelihood of irrational decision making by impatient drivers, thus, leading to a grave danger of accident and injury on the road.
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Most of the drivers undertake a slow driver rather than drive patiently behind him or her. This is not an acceptable practice of safe driving. This holds true especially on highways and expressways, where every single car is going at a speed of 90 km/h and above. Imagine the consequences of overtaking a slow driver on such expressways.
Slow drivers aren’t as rare as we think. In fact, there are more chances of seeing a slow driver than a speeding driver on the road. Surprisingly, no such law exists to regulate or control the movement of slow moving drivers.
While you might like to be safe on the road by cruising at a 55 km/h speed, do keep in mind that by affecting other drivers, you are also putting your life at risk.
Penalty for slow drivers
Lawmakers in North Carolina have filed a bill that would impose a hefty fine for motorists who block the passing lane. House Bill 827 would levy a $200 penalty for motorists who drive in the left lane on a highway and won't drive quickly, thus causing delays to the cars behind them. Such drivers could be charged with a new violation - "impeding the steady flow of traffic". Similar rules are followed in Florida and Indianapolis as well.
Even in India, the rules are getting stringent for the same. From Feb 2017 The Highway Traffic Police has begun imposing a fine of Rs 200 for plying slowly on the first lane, especially in the case of Mumbai-Pune Expressway. As per the statistics, by far 15 violators have been fined for slow driving.
To conclude, speed limit rules are there for a reason. They’re devised to keep road traffic moving at a steady pace, to ensure the safety of the pedestrians as well as motorists. A heavy traffic moving too slowly could quite easily trigger an accident. The police need to be on the lookout for slow drivers as much as speeding drivers and pull them up for the larger good of other drivers.