Slow and steady may win the race in fables, but in Georgia, being slow and steady could cost you $1,000 in fines, three points on your license, and a massive increase in your insurance premiums. If you're caught driving slow in the left lane, that is.
Back in 2014, Georgia passed the "Slowpoke Law," which says that if you're driving in the left lane and a faster car is coming quickly up behind you, you need move to the middle or right lane. Yep, even if you're going the speed limit.
As we mentioned before, the penalties for violating the Georgia traffic law can be pretty hefty, but most Georgia state patrol law enforcement officers will take a number of important factors into account before just throwing a citation at you.
Per Peachstatelawyer.com:
If ticketed with a violation of the "slow poke" law, it's important to remember that while officers have a wide range of discretion in determining whether a driver is impeding traffic, there are also many other factors such as weather conditions, time of day, and the general flow of traffic in the area that can affect your case.
If you think about it, the Slowpoke Law does have the potential to do a lot of good. While a lot of motorists (especially slow drivers) tend to just hang out in the left-hand lane like it's any other lane, it really is only meant to be a passing lane. When implemented correctly, the Georgia law can lead to faster traffic and reduce the amount of road rage incidents.
And, if you've seen the sort of road rage videos we post here from time to time, you probably know that anything that cuts down on road rage is a huge plus.
This post was originally published on February 6, 2019.