Hybrids replacing SUVs as targets of driver anger

Some years back, the mid-90's I seem to remember, New York State passed regulations forbidding police in unmarked cars from stopping vehicles for traffic violations. This was in response to some publicized incidents of 'fake cops' and resulting events, up to rape. Over the years, they have many State Police cars without the roof mounted lights, just ones on the front and rear, but the car clearly marked. This way, you can't 'see' their profile/shape in your rear view mirror and slow down, or when they park on the opposite side of the highway and you can't filter them out from opposite traffic until it's too late. No worry here... Cruise control set at 64 or 65 on 65 Speed Limit road.

This sounds like a good idea nationwide.

 

OK, Arizona has such a law:

"E. A person shall not drive a motor vehicle at a speed that is less than the speed that is reasonable and prudent under existing conditions.

A.R.S. § 28-701 ()"

 

Iowa common law states that, "There may be negligence in operation of motor vehicle even though speed thereof is less than statutory maximum. Youngs v. Fort, 1961, 109 N.W.2d 230, 252 Iowa 939."


Basically what they are saying is that you can be negligent even if you are under the speed limit. COmmon law is different from a statute in that it is a courts interpretation of the law, but is still as legally binding as a law written by the legislature. So in this case, you could be ticketed and be held accountable if you are going under the speed limit and are creating a hazard.

 

Going too slow is only illegal in WA if there is a) only one lane your direction and B) there are 5 or more cars being held up by you. I've never seen anyone pulled over for holding up traffic though.

 

North Carolina statute says that going too slow IS against the law if you are impedeing traffic. Now it does specify "compliance with law." But if everyone is having to swerve around you for going under the speed limit and you are going UNDER the speed limit you are at fault. If you speed up to the speed limit, then the fault is no longer yours. But so long as you are under it, it is your fault, not other drivers, even if they are speeding. They can be cited separately for speeding, but you can also be cited for too low a speed.



"(h) No person shall operate a motor vehicle on the highway at such a slow speed as to impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic except when reduced speed is necessary for safe operation or in compliance with law; provided, this provision shall not apply to farm tractors and other motor vehicles operating at reasonable speeds for the type and nature of such vehicles.

N.C.G.S.A. § 20-141 ()"

 

Well, that's just a few. I just did a simple search on only one legal database. I could do a more intensive search on this and other databases, but I think that what I found is enough. There are indeed cases where you can get a ticket for going too slow. It varies from state to state as to what the exact charge will be, but it can apparently be done.

Just keep that in mind when you're attempting to squeeze out maximum mpg. While speeding is not legal, neither is going too slow. So while the you may not like the speeders, you are equally at fault by going slow. As I said a previous post, neither is right.

:blink:

 

Technically, isn't it also illegal to drive the speed limit? Depending on the conditions of course. I don't have access to legal databases, but others have posted about this. If you are on an icy interstate, driving 70 mph could be be illegal or as this site says driving the speed limit in an area congested with vehicles or pedestrians could be reckless driving.


Even one of the statutes you quoted said reasonable and prudent. Who decides when that is?

The impression I am getting is that you are just looking for information to support your case that people should speed up.

I will state again that no one is advocating driving extremely under the speed limit, and I think the proportion of tickets for driving over the speed limit are many more than the tickets given for those under the speed limit (or at the speed limit).