Is It Legal for a Police Officer to Pull Over a Driver Who is Driving Slowly and Hindering Traffic Flow?

Of course, it is legal for a police officer to pull over a driver who is driving slowly and hindering traffic flow.

Driving at an extremely low speed, such as 25 mph in a 65 mph zone, can be extremely dangerous. Humans are not very good at estimating the speed of a vehicle from a distance, and if a driver is significantly slower than the surrounding traffic, there is a high chance that other drivers may not realize the slow speed and could cause a crash.

Reasons for Slower Driving and Avoiding Tickets

While it's often dangerous to drive much slower than the speed limit, there are occasional situations where arguing the weather or road conditions can help evade a ticket. For example, driving in heavy rain, snow, or fog might make a slower speed seem reasonable. However, clear skies on a summer day would not be a defendable argument.

Personal Experience: A Traffic Stop with Older Drivers

During my time as a police officer, I frequently pulled over drivers who were hindering traffic flow, particularly during congested situations. One such instance involved a car with older women driving at 35 mph on a highway where the speed limit was 55 mph. The car had at least 30 cars jammed up behind them in a no-passing zone. The driver did not know why I pulled her over, so I explained that her slow speed was hindering traffic flow. She then pointed out that the speed limit had been 35 mph. Upon further investigation, I discovered that she was on a highway with a 55 mph speed limit. I explained to her that the incident could have been much worse if it occurred on a different highway. When one of the passengers asked, “where the hell were you when we were on hwy 87!”, I started laughing and simply gave her a warning. That traffic stop remains one of the funniest experiences during my 20-year career as a police officer.

Creating Traffic Hazards

It is also legal and necessary for police officers to pull over drivers who create a traffic hazard. For example, if a driver is consistently driving at a dangerous and significantly lower speed, this can cause other drivers to take unnecessary risks.

In my experience, driving down a certain main street every morning with three lanes in each direction, posted speed limit of 45 mph, and an average speed of 55 mph, I encountered a driver who routinely drove at 30 mph. This created dangerous situations for other drivers, as the 55 mph drivers coming around a curve would suddenly find themselves closing in on the 30 mph driver with no space to pass. I have personally witnessed several near-misses and reported at least three fender-benders caused by this driver to the police.

In conclusion, driving slowly and hindering traffic flow is a dangerous practice and can be legally punished by traffic authorities to ensure the safety of all road users.