Drivers in Tennessee may find themselves being held up on the freeway by a slow driver in the left-hand lane. Driving below the speed limit is illegal when it impedes the reasonable flow of traffic, yet this does not mean that other drivers should behave in risky ways to get around a slow driver.
Safety experts say that drivers should never tailgate or aggressively pass on the right. What drivers should do first is wait a minute to see if the slow driver will move out of the way. If the driver is oblivious, then it may be helpful to flash the headlights or honk the horn but not in a confrontational way.
It’s good to know what types of drivers travel slow. First, there are the distracted drivers. Phone use, for example, will take drivers’ attention from the road and reduce their ability to make correct judgments based on what they see in front of them. The parietal lobe, which is involved in much of one’s driving behavior, is made 37% less active with phone use according to the National Safety Council.
Slow drivers may be tourists who navigate the road slowly out of unfamiliarity with the area. New drivers may also travel below normal speeds for lack of confidence. Lastly, seniors may suffer from poor vision or arthritis; the former condition prevents them from seeing speed limits while the latter stiffens the joints and hinders acceleration.
Driving too slowly is a form of negligence, and when slow drivers cause car accidents, they may be held liable for any injuries incurred by the other side. On the other hand, victims who acted negligently themselves may either be barred from recovering damages or have the damages they recover lowered proportionally. A lawyer may evaluate the case under Tennessee’s modified comparative negligence rule and see how much victims might be eligible for before moving on with the case.
