We’ve all seen them: Drivers crawling along at the speed of a snail. They can be frustrating if you get stuck behind them on the road with no place to pass. But is that frustration warranted? Or is their caution something we should all practice a little more?
It depends on just how slow they are going in relation to others and what their reason for it is.
Sometimes, people have a valid reason for slowing right down
That reason might not be obvious to the drivers behind. Let’s say someone suddenly feels dizzy, and they have slowed right down until they can safely pull off. That would be sensible.
Perhaps they have a mechanical issue. Maybe their front tire suddenly blew, or their brakes have gone and they are once again just trying to get to safety without further incident.
Yet, sometimes people can go too slow
Statistics show that drivers traveling 10 mph or more below the speed of others are six times more likely to have a crash. As most crashes tend to involve more than one vehicle, that makes one person driving too slowly a problem for other road users, not just the person themselves. So, drivers need to travel at the speed of the general traffic where possible.
If you come across a slow driver, you just need to be patient and wait until it is safe to pass because if you run into the back of them or cause a crash while trying to pass, most courts would consider you to blame for the crash. If you do end up in a wreck through no fault of your own, it may be smart to seek legal guidance.