Hundreds of Atlanta Drivers Ticketed Under New “Slow Poke Law”
Nearly all of us have been there—stuck behind a slow moving driver in the passing lane. Now, however, Georgia drivers are in danger of being ticketed for not moving over. An update on Georgia's law on impeding traffic went into effect last July, 2014. It states that anyone impeding traffic in the passing lane can get a ticket, even if they are driving the speed limit. The law also requires slower moving drivers to move out of the way of faster moving vehicles.
In the past nine months, officers have issued 269 so called "slow poke law" tickets, mostly in the Atlanta metro area. The law itself is designed to cut down on aggressive, dangerous driving as well as road rage incidents. The new law states that a driver must move out of the far left lane if approached from behind by a driver traveling at a faster speed. The slow moving vehicle should move to the right and allow the faster moving vehicle to pass them, even if the driver is speeding and therefore breaking the law.
The slow poke law generally comes into play with three lane intersections inside or just outside of the metro area. In Gwinnett County, over 100 slow poke tickets have been issued and Cobb County wrote another 200 since the law was implemented, according to WSB TV.
Police report that the during first few months after the law's change, they have spent most of their time simply educating drivers as to the law change and not enforcing violations. Even months later, trooper's note that many drivers do not understand they are breaking the law when they fail to move over to allow others to pass.
Why Slow Driving Can Be Dangerous
Most of us associate speeding with dangerous driving, but driving at speeds far lower than the speed limit can also present hazards, as recognized by Georgia's revised law. When slow drivers linger in the fast lane on multiple lane roads, you may be forced to pass them on the right, causing confusion that can lead to car accidents. For this reason, you will often see minimum speed limits posted on highways. Georgia is not the only state to ticket drivers caught driving slow in the fast lane, as other states similarly issue large fines and citations to such drivers.
Put Our Law Firm's Over 39 Years of Legal Experience to Work For Your Case!
Montlick & Associates, Attorneys at Law, has spent more than thirty years representing those who suffer serious injuries throughout all of Georgia and in the Southeast, including but not limited to Albany, Athens, Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, Gainesville, Macon, Marietta, Rome, Roswell, Savannah, Smyrna, Valdosta, Warner Robins and all smaller cities and rural areas in the state.
No matter where you are located our attorneys are just a phone call away, and we will even come to you. Call us 24 hours a day/7 days a week for your Free Consultation at 1-800-LAW-NEED (1-800-529-6333). You can also visit us online at www.montlick.com and use our Free Case Evaluation Form or 24-hour Live Online Chat.
Sources:
http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local/hundreds-drivers-ticketed-under-new-slow-poke-law/nmJKR/