Is It Illegal to Drive Under the Speed Limit?
June 30th, 2020 by Fix Auto USA
Most people are aware that driving over the speed limit increases the chance of an accident, puts lives at risk, and makes the roads less safe. But did you know that driving below the speed limit is also unsafe?
Driving too slowly can cause other drivers to swerve or slam on their brakes, causing a chain reaction that leads to a rear-end collision. Also, driving below the speed limit can lead to gridlock and road rage.
But how slow can you drive under the speed limit and is it illegal to drive under the speed limit?
The answer is, well, it depends. That’s because there’s no such thing as a federal speed limit law. It’s left to each state to determine its own speed limit.
In addition to different state speed limit law, it also depends on the type of road you are driving on, the flow of traffic, and the weather conditions at the time you are driving, among other factors.
Whether you are going 20 mph or 50 mph may be less important than the impact your speed is having on the flow of traffic. If you are driving at a speed that is too slow or too fast and is impeding the flow of traffic and putting other drivers’ safety at risk, you can be pulled over by a highway patrolman and ticketed.
Is it illegal to drive under the speed limit?
California
California has Vehicle Code 22400, the minimum speed law, to prohibit drivers from driving so slowly that they “impede the normal flow of traffic.” Whether they are driving too slowly is a subjective decision left to the California Highway Patrolman and depends on several factors, including the time of day, the number of lanes on the highway, the weather and road conditions at the time, and the amount of traffic.
A driver convicted of violating this code will pay a fine of $238 and receive one point on their DMV record. Although the Department of Transportation has the authority to create a minimum speed as needed, it is rare to find minimum speed signs in California.
In an effort to reduce road rage, some states are passing legislation regulating left lane driving.
Alabama
Like most states, Alabama has a driving below the speed limit law, but the law does not indicate how far below the speed limit is legal. Essentially, they leave it to the discretion of the Alabama Highway Patrol.
But in Alabama, if you are driving in the left lane without passing another car, you can be pulled over and ticketed!
Driving slowly in the left lane not only infuriates some drivers, but it can affect the normal flow of traffic. Many states would like the left lane to be reserved as the passing lane, but not all drivers got the memo. Other states are following Alabama’s lead.
Colorado
Colorado has a driving too slowly statute, but it does not define how far below the speed limit is legal. Whether driving below the speed limit is illegal depends on the opinion of a state highway patrol officer. If he believes you are holding up traffic, he has the right to ticket you.
Colorado has a left-lane law stating that drivers must not occupy “the passing lane of a highway if the speed-limit is 65 miles per hour or more unless such person is passing other motor-vehicles that are in a non-passing lane.” Kentucky has a similar law on the books.
In Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Illinois, it’s illegal to fail to move to the right if a vehicle behind you is attempting to pass.
Illinois, Maine, Missouri, Massachusetts, Montana, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and the state of Washington have designated the left lane for passing only on highways with three or more lanes. They have also passed laws insisting that all drivers stay in the right lanes unless they’re passing.
Washington State
The state of Washington also has an anti-gridlock law on the books for coastal highways. It essentially says, if you are driving so slowly that you have caused a line of at least five cars to form behind you, you must pull off the highway at your next opportunity so the cars may pass you.
In Washington, most roads don’t have minimum speed limit signs, but similar to California, they have laws that prevent drivers from driving below the speed limit when it impedes “the normal and reasonable movement of traffic.”
What’s normal and reasonable? It varies based on the circumstances, but if a bunch of drivers are honking at a driver, it is safe to assume that he or she is impeding the normal flow of traffic. It is ultimately left to the discretion of a state highway patrol officer to enforce the law.
Virginia
Virginia has a driving too slowly law on the books, but it does not specify how far below the speed limit is legal. Whether driving below the speed limit is illegal depends on whether a Virginia State Trooper concludes you are impeding the normal flow of traffic.
Virginia also has a law that is similar to Washington state’s anti-gridlock law, but more stringent. If you are driving under the speed limit in the left lane, and cause at least three cars to form a line behind you, then you can be pulled over and ticketed.
Is it illegal to drive under the speed limit? Maybe a better question to ask is if it’s safe to drive under the speed limit. Driving below the speed limit entails risk and danger. If you drive significantly slower than the normal flow of traffic, there is a chain reaction. Drivers behind you will become impatient and start jumping from lane to lane. Other drivers will swerve to avoid you or slam on the brakes.
How far below the speed limit is legal?
How slow can you drive under the speed limit? Most states have concluded that this question is best dealt with on a case by case basis. Driving ten miles per hour under the speed limit on an uncrowded freeway might not be a problem, because the chance that you are holding up traffic is small. But driving ten miles under the speed limit in the city during rush hour is another story. Most state laws do not specify how far below the speed limit is legal. They leave that decision to the highway patrol officer, but a good rule of thumb is that it is illegal to drive at a speed so slow that you hold up the normal traffic flow.
Going slow on a higher-speed freeway can increase the risk of a collision. We assume that other drivers are traveling near the speed limit, so when we encounter a car that is driving at a much slower speed, we have to make a fast adjustment, and that can be enough to cause an accident.
Is it illegal to drive under the speed limit? Not if you have a good reason for it. Most state laws on the subject leave room for common sense exceptions, such as driving below the speed limit because of unsafe road conditions, slowing down because of an accident ahead, or due to general gridlock.
Don’t let other drivers impose pressure on you to speed up if you feel it’s not safe. If you are caught in an icy snowstorm and don’t have four-wheel-drive (link to blog on subject), driving 30 mph even though the sign says 70 mph would be understandable.
Here are few guidelines to live by – and drive by!
- On a two-lane highway, remain in the right lane unless you’re passing or using the left lane to exit.
- On a freeway with three or more lanes, occupy the right and center lanes, and only use the left lane for passing.
- If you are in the left lane (the passing lane) and notice in your rear view mirror that a faster-moving car is approaching, move to the right lane as soon as you can do so safely.
- Whatever your speed, be careful not to impede the normal flow of traffic
- Know the speed limits that are specific to your state.
To summarize, driving below the speed limit has never been a hot-button issue like speeding, but that is beginning to change. Increasingly, people want to know, how slow can you drive under the speed limit and how far below the speed limit is legal?
We looked into the question, “Is it illegal to drive under the speed limit?” and concluded, based on our research, that most states have minimum speed limit laws, but leave it to the highway patrol to decide on a case by case basis. Driving below the speed limit can be dangerous, but whether it is a “ticket-able” offense depends on the road conditions at the time, in addition to other factors.
This blog post was contributed by Fix Auto Irvine a leading industry expert and collision repair shop servicing customers not only in Irvine, Southern California but also in Orange County neighborhood.
