Fuel Efficiency or Common Courtesy?

[KDOG]

I never considered that driving slower than the speed limit was illegal... because I don't think it is. As soon as I learned the pulse & glide I thought nothing of driving 35 in a 45.

Unless, of course, there was someone behind me. I'll speed up to be courteous, not to be lawful.

[darelldd]

Does courtesy extend to keeping my air clean and my nation safe? Or does courtesy only mean convenience?

[Codyroo]

Originally Posted by fish_antlers

You might not "see" anything unsafe about it, but the law DOES. What you're doing is both illegal and dangerous - traveling well below the posted speed limit, or the speed of the traffic is just as dangerous as speeding.

Don't worry - you'll get cited and then you'll be online complaining about it.

Drive 55, save gas -- get flipped off / Trip shows slowing down boosts mileage but can make you unpopular on the road


excerpted - Officer Panelli said the CHP sees very few drivers cruising I-5 at 55. It's not illegal, however -- there's no minimum speed limit on that stretch of road, and the Vehicle Code says only: "No person shall drive upon a highway at such a slow speed as to impede or block the normal and reasonable movement of traffic." "If you're doing 55 in the right lane,'' Panelli said, "you're probably OK. It wouldn't be like you're the only one out there going that slow, since trucks and cars towing trailers have a 55 speed limit.''

For those who don't know Hwy 5 in California, it is a looooong, strait boring stretch of highway that stretches (north to south) across california (actually, it gets prettier as you get closer to Oregon, say, starting around Weed). It is a main North to South artery in the middle of the state. Typically 4 or 6 lanes of traffic, with a speed limit of 70 mph. It isn't much of a road to "enjoy the ride" it is much more a road "just to get there as fast as possible".

V.C. Section 22400 - Minimum Speed Law

Excerpted - 22400. (a) No person shall drive upon a highway at such a slow speed as to impede or block the normal and reasonable movement of traffic, unless the reduced speed is necessary for safe operation, because of a grade, or in compliance with law.

I don't think that driving 35 mph in a 45 mph zone with no one behind you is impeding traffic. Driving 35 mph in a 45 mph zone might really annoy other drivers behind you (assuming conditions were safe for 45 mph operations) but not illegal. If you start getting much slower than that, your probability goes up for being cited.

[freshmtt]

Originally Posted by KDOG

I never considered that driving slower than the speed limit was illegal... because I don't think it is. As soon as I learned the pulse & glide I thought nothing of driving 35 in a 45.

Unless, of course, there was someone behind me. I'll speed up to be courteous, not to be lawful.

You are NOT doing anything illegal, driving 35 in a 45 is NOT illegal, I would like to find out what state someone would consider that illegal. The posted speed limit of 45 is the max speed you are allowed to travel, it is not the minimum, if you were on an expressway they would have both the max and minimum speeds posted. I would say that driving 10mph in a 45 could become a problem at some point, but not a mere 10mph less than the posted speed. I say keep driving at that speed and if someone wants to pass you they can do so, after all the local city streets are not a racetrack as some would like to think they are..

[fish_antlers]

thanks for finding the law, cody...

every state has a similar law, and regardless of people's "opinions" on this site, and what you might "think" is okay - the law sees otherwise.

It's illegal. Keep it up and you'll buy yourself a ticket - and I hope people here do.

Debate it online all you want... it wont matter 'cuz you can tell it to the judge.


my 2$ werth.

[alanh]

Arizona:

28-704. Minimum speed limits; requirement to turn off roadway

A. A person shall not drive a motor vehicle at such a slow speed as to impede or block the normal and reasonable movement of traffic except when reduced speed is necessary for safe operation or in compliance with law.

B. If the director or local authorities within their respective jurisdictions determine on the basis of an engineering and traffic investigation that slow speeds on any part of a highway consistently impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic, the director or local authority may determine and declare a minimum speed limit below which a person shall not drive a vehicle except when necessary for safe operation or in compliance with law.

C. If a person is driving a vehicle at a speed less than the normal flow of traffic at the particular time and place on a two-lane highway where passing is unsafe, and if five or more vehicles are formed in a line behind the vehicle, the person shall turn the vehicle off the roadway at the nearest place designated as a turnout by signs erected by the director or a local authority, or wherever sufficient area for a safe turnout exists, in order to permit the vehicles following to proceed.

It would be hard to argue that you're blocking traffic on a multi-lane street/highway. On a two-lane highway where they can't pass you, you're required to pull out if cars are getting backed up behind you.

[Codyroo]

Originally Posted by fish_antlers

thanks for finding the law, cody...

every state has a similar law, and regardless of people's "opinions" on this site, and what you might "think" is okay - the law sees otherwise.

It's illegal. Keep it up and you'll buy yourself a ticket - and I hope people here do.

Debate it online all you want... it wont matter 'cuz you can tell it to the judge.


my 2$ werth.

It is the officer's interpretation of what is impeding traffic. I don't think most would view 35 mph in a 45 mph zone as impeding traffic. But, that is not our call, it is the officer's call.

If you were going so slow as to impede traffic, they would pull you over to see what was wrong. I would guess, a majority of the time, you'd get a warning and asked to speed up. If you gave the officer some lip, you might buy yourself a ticket.

I recall seeing a recent cnn video of highway patrol officers (in New Jersey?) pulling drivers over for not passing in the fast lane. Basically, a law was being enforced that states you use the #1 lane for passing other vehicles. Not to cruise at the speed limit and prevent people from passing. They showed the officers pulling someone over, (given a warning) for driving 62 mph in the fast lane. Their point was, if you are going to drive 62 mph, don't do it in that lane.

[MsDaisy]

Originally Posted by fish_antlers

You might not "see" anything unsafe about it, but the law DOES. What you're doing is both illegal and dangerous - traveling well below the posted speed limit, or the speed of the traffic is just as dangerous as speeding.

Don't worry - you'll get cited and then you'll be online complaining about it.

I don't know about where you live, but the interstate I drive on most frequently has posted 70 MPH & 40 MPH as the speed limit and minimum speed respectively. I'd hardly call driving at 60 or 65 MPH if the limit is 70 illegal or dangerous, as long as the driver is not in the left lane.

[hiremichaelreid]

Here in Ontario, Canada, the minimum speed limit for 100 KMH (62 MPH) highways was 60 KMH (37 MPH). I'm not positive that is still true; other roads that aren't 100 KMH limited access highways I believe have no low limit. You can drive a tractor or a bike or any vehicle all the way to the right as far as possible at 1 MPH if you have to.

When I was a poor student 25 years ago, I drove at about 40 MPH on these highways on a few occasions when short of gas. I pulled into the left lane once (!) to let a truck pass me on the right going over the 2 lane each side Burlington skyway. Trucks were not allowed in left lane. He passed me on right, although technically I think we were both breaking the law (Me, being in left lane going so slow, him passing on right.) There was no other traffic around.

These days I am driving the speed limit. Nothing wrong with that, or even 10 MPH slower if it seems prudent. I try to be courteous if traffic is behind by using cruise control.

On roads where it's easy to pass me, I see nothing wrong with going as slow as legal, although there are dangers to driving too slow on highway.

[chrisspaulding]

Drive the min speed limit but not under, except when anticipating stops, then you can go under (IMO)