Driving so slow as to impede traffic is against the law in Indiana. It’s dangerous, too, in the sense that it can raise the ire of other drivers and lead them to engage in unsafe behaviors like tailgating and impatient passing on the right.
Slow drivers, then, can indirectly contribute to car accidents, so those who encounter them must make sure to remain patient. If they stay behind a slow driver in the left-hand lane of the highway for over a minute and that driver doesn’t budge, they may flash the headlights to get his or her attention. If this fails, they may honk the horn gently and not obnoxiously.
Many slow drivers are simply distracted. Phones are one distraction that can especially lower a driver’s ability to make correct judgments. The parietal lobe, the area of the brain that helps in making these judgments, becomes 37% less active when a person uses a phone, according to the National Safety Council.
Other drivers may travel slow because they’re sightseeing or because they’re newly licensed drivers who lack confidence. Seniors make up the fourth most common type of slow driver. Perhaps their poor vision prevents them from seeing the speed limit, or it could be that arthritis has stiffened their joints and made it hard to accelerate.
When slow drivers contribute to motor vehicle accidents, they will be held liable unless other drivers also acted negligently, such as by following too close to them. Those who were injured through little or no fault of their own may be able to file a personal injury claim, but without a lawyer, they may be forced into a low-ball settlement by the auto insurance companies.