Police ticketing ‘slow-poke drivers’ in Atlanta (home, construction)

[SAAN]

The people getting tickets for this are more than likely the people who go 55-60 in the left lane and stay there with a line of cars behind them. Other than this the cops are usually looking for super speeders for the huge fine or 14mph+, since that is when points can come off your licenses.

I cop can just wait for people going 80mph + and write tickets all day on that.

[LloydinMaine]

Good for Georgia! I hope other states start implementing this. There is always some idiot that thinks they're the speed police holding up a line of traffic in the left lane.

[Dkeating]

Originally Posted by PKCorey

Read the bill, its pretty cut and dry. Get the hell out of the passing lane, if you aren't passing, simple as that. You shouldn't be coasting in the passing lane anyway. You go over to pass and head back into the #2 lane. If everyone did that, we would never have the issues on the interstate.

http://www.legis.ga.gov/Legislation/20132014/141285.pdf

When people are saying the law "makes no sense," I don't think they're saying it's inscrutable; they're saying that it seems to conflict with existing speed limit laws--making someone who's compliant with the speed limit law an offender because someone who wants to break the speed limit law is behind them.

It seems to me that the issue would better be addressed by an increase in the speed limit for the left lane. Someone mentioned the Autobahn, but don't large portions of it have no enforceable speed limit?

[MattCW]

There is one good tweak they should add to it. If the person in the left lane is actively passing other vehicles (defined simply as moving faster than vehicles in the right lane) then they should not be considered in violation provided they indicate and carry out their intent to safely move back over at the soonest opportunity (as in activating their turn signal).

[billl]

Originally Posted by Dkeating

Someone mentioned the Autobahn, but don't large portions of it have no enforceable speed limit?

That's correct. Outside of cities, the Autobahn has no speed limit. You are free to go as fast as your vehicle can manage. But if you are in the left lane you'd better be looking in your rear view mirror at least as often as in front of you. Drivers fully expect you to move right unless you are passing slower traffic. And a guy in a Porsche or on a motorcycle is not going to slow down for you: he expects you to move to the right.

[Craziaskowboi]

Originally Posted by LovelySummer

The concept of ticketing someone who is breaking an existing law by speeding has apparently not occurred to anyone; instead, we went to the trouble of creating a new law to punish ppl driving slower than the speeders.

And what the slowpokes don't realize is that THERE'S MORE THAN ONE LAW ON THE HIGHWAY. Just because you drive the speed limit like it's the 11th ****ing Commandment doesn't mean you get to enforce it. In fact, slowpokes with poor lane discipline are worse than speeders because they create traffic jams where there needn't be any. They're the rock creating turbulence in the creek. Which driver is worse, one who obeys every law except the speed limit, or one who breaks every law except the speed limit?

By the way, the best way to eliminate aggressive driving is to punish the passive and passive-aggressive drivers. Aggressive driving is merely a symptom that arises in conjunction with the disease of passive and passive-aggressive driving. It's time for law enforcement to stop focusing on alleviating the symptoms and start curing the disease.

[PKCorey]

Originally Posted by Dkeating

When people are saying the law "makes no sense," I don't think they're saying it's inscrutable; they're saying that it seems to conflict with existing speed limit laws--making someone who's compliant with the speed limit law an offender because someone who wants to break the speed limit law is behind them.

Technically, you can't get a ticket unless you are over 10 mph (excluding the GSP) so even if you are doing the speed limit, you are still impeding traffic because they aren't "speeding."

Main issue is most people in the passing lane do not checking the rearview mirror. Hence, all the aggressive driving. If you are actively checking your mirror, you will see when someone is flying up behind you and get out of their way.

If you see someone flying, move over. Simple as that.

[JPD]

Raise your hand if you support this law, and also defended folks (on the recent man-spreading thread) who clog up escalators by standing on the left.

[AnsleyPark]

This is ludicrous... Only in Georgia.

[convextech]

Originally Posted by LovelySummer

my Dad told me to never try to get over, stay where I ambc ppl driving that fast on open road have already decided how they are going to navigate around you and if you get over, they are likely to hit you.

Your dad couldn't be more wrong. By staying in that lane, you are likely making that person even more mad. Move out of their way as soon as they come up on you. Use your blinker so they know you are moving.