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At one time or another, we have all been stuck behind a slow driver, driving in the left-hand lane well below the posted speed limit. Speeding drivers can be ticketed, but can slow drivers also be ticketed? 

NBC-2 reported on February 20, 2016, that, “Yes, they can be ticketed.” The Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) is cracking down on slow drivers who are travelling more than 10 mph below the speed limit in the left lane. Violators in Collier, Lee and Charlotte Counties will now face fines between $160 to $175 and a 3-point moving violation.

For the five-year period 2008-2012 (latest available statistics), 464 drivers were cited for violating Florida law, which says “any vehicle traveling at less than the normal speed of traffic at the time and place and under current conditions can be cited.”

John Bowman, a spokesperson for the National Motorist Association, said in 2012, “Slow drivers are really a hazard. They back up traffic. People become frustrated. They begin to tailgate and make sudden lane changes. It creates stop-and-go traffic conditions. Those are all causes of accidents.”

Forty states now have some form of penalty in place for drivers clogging up traffic, according to Fox6 Now in 2015.

Why would someone drive too slowly? 

VercRental Car of Boston, MA in The Dangers of Driving Under the Speed Limit says that many people simply assume that someone driving slowly is just a senior citizen, but that is not always the case. There are three other types of people who will drive their cars too slowly: 

• Not paying attention: Checking your text messages? Watch your focus drop. If a driver is not focusing on the road, one of the side effects is a reduction in speed to compensate for the lack of focus. And if the driver is distracted, he/she may not see other things, such as the fact that another car is behind him/her. 

• Not familiar with the area: Whether they are trying not to miss their turn or trying to take in all of the new sights, tourists can often end up going a little too easy on the gas pedal. 

• New to driving: While some teenagers are speed-demons, others are very uncertain drivers and compensate for their uncertainty by driving slower.

“Driving around a slow driver may be just as dangerous as driving around those who speed. Contact our experienced team of accident attorneys, if involved in an accident caused by a slow driver,” said Naples Car Accident Attorney, Randall Spivey of Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A.

Naples Car Accident Attorney, Randall L. Spivey is a Board Certified Trial Attorney – the highest recognition for competence bestowed by the Florida Bar and a distinction earned by just one (1%) percent of Florida attorneys.  He has handled over 2,000 personal injury and wrongful death cases throughout Florida.  For a free and confidential consultation to discuss your legal rights, contact the Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A., in Lee County at 239.337.7483 or toll free at 1.888.477.4839,or by email to Randall@SpiveyLaw.com.  Visit SpiveyLaw.com for more information.  You can contact Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A.in Charlotte County at 941.764.7748 and in Collier County 239.793.7748.