The woeful lane discipline on America’ roads is often a topic of intense conversation during any road trip or quick drive up the highway to work. Having a sluggish mid-1990’s beige Buick hogging the passing lane is quite a common occurrence that leave some drivers bellowing expletives at their dashboard. For those who would rather pay tribute to “I Can’t Drive 55” and get on with stabbing the accelerator pedal and traveling at “normal” commuting speeds, Virginia’s newly-implemented “slowpoke” law has produced results.
When it began being enforced on Virginia highways July 1, 2017, the penalty was $100 for driving too slowly in the left (passing) lane. Moreover, drivers would be penalized by failing to keep to the right (travelling) lane when not maneuvering pass slower drivers. Previously, both motoring infractions we considered legal violations, but were never attached with fines.
Similar efforts for discouraging slowpokes in the left lane were attempted in Maryland. Last year, however, lawmakers claimed that the left lane ban for slow drivers would only produce an excuse for police to pull drivers over, thus the bill failed.
Nevertheless, as the measure passed through the Virginia General Assembly in 2017, thousands of slowpoke drivers were given citations in the months following. In report from WTOP, after a response was given to a public record request, between July 1 and April 3, 2018, 1,951 citations were filed through general district courts across the Commonwealth.
Among the resolved cases, 623 people paid the $100 fine without going to court, 332 were found guilty, and 309 were found guilty in absentia.
58 cases ended with a not guilty finding, 126 were dismissed, and 115 were not pursued by prosecutors. Only one driver successfully challenged the citation in court after arguing that they have fully complied with the new law.
A broader portion of the slowpoke law fines drivers if they are travelling slower than the normal speed of traffic in anything but the right lane except when passing or preparing to turn left. Furthermore, the law also includes violations for big-rig trucks failing to stay in the right lane in designated areas, crossing a double-yellow line, unsafe lane changes, or changing lanes in certain areas where that is prohibited. Another 14,815 people were cited within the 10-month time span that carried the $100 fine.
According to the data provided, 5,327 people charged under that overall code section paid the new $100 fine before a court date, 2,185 were found guilty, and 2,570 were found guilty in absentia.
As well, 1,030 cases were dismissed, 695 were dropped by prosecutors, 335 ended with a not guilty finding. A resulting four motorists argued that they complied with the law and the courts found them correct.
Even though lane discipline in Virginia still leaves something to be desired, the slowpoke law has put in people’s minds that there is a reason for two lanes on highways. The results are a bit more freedom of speed on Virginia’s highways and belting up I-95, at least between the patches of cleared pine trees where Johnny State Trooper sits in waiting.
