Florida law requires drivers to travel within the speed limit and not impede the flow of traffic. Driving too slow, then, is illegal. It’s also dangerous in the sense that it can make other drivers angry and impatient.
People are advised to be patient, though, and to wait a minute when behind a slow driver in the left-hand lane. It often happens that slow drivers are unaware of their surroundings and simply need to have their attention caught by a flash of the headlights or a gentle honk of the horn. Motorists should consider these steps rather than tailgate or angrily pass on the right.
Another thing to consider is who drives slow. Some may be doing so for reasons that are more understandable than others, though this may not, of course, necessarily mitigate their fault. For example, newly licensed drivers may travel slow for lack of confidence, or seniors may travel slow because arthritis has stiffened their joints.
Others drive slow because they are distracted by their phones. This is especially dangerous because phones, according to the National Safety Council, reduce activity in the parietal lobe by 37%. This is the part of the brain that helps drivers make correct judgments based on what they perceive. Still others travel slow because they are sightseers unfamiliar with area speed limits.
In car accidents that involve a slow driver, it’s usually not that driver alone who is at fault. Perhaps another driver acted aggressively when encountering the slow one. Florida holds to the rule of comparative negligence, though, so even those who are partially at fault may be able to file a claim. It must involve serious injuries, though; otherwise, victims can only file with their own insurance company. Whatever the case is like, victims may want a lawyer to guide them.