Its technical title is HB 1416/SB 1608, but the charmingly named “Slow Poke Law” is looking to change the way we drive here in Tennessee. Legislators are looking to help ease congestion while making our interstates a little safer to drive on, and they’re using a plan that’s worked in other states to do it.

The “Slow Poke Law” is essentially this: if you’re driving on a roadway with three or more lanes, you’d better stay out of the left lane unless you’re trying to pass another car. The language can be a bit of a mouthful, but its message is clear: if you are traveling at or below the speed limit, stay as far to the right as you can. If you are bumping along in the left lane, a police officer can give you as ticket for $50, and violations are considered a Class C misdemeanor.

Why Tennessee needs a law like this

It’s not wrong to drive slowly; indeed, in some cases it’s more prudent to do so. But making the left lane a passing-lane only, and ticketing those who violate the law, can have a number of benefits, including:

• Less congestion on the roads. We have all been the drivers behind the “slow poke,” and chances are we have all been the “slow poke,” too, at some point. By forcing slower drivers to stay to the right, traffic as a whole can move more efficiently and quickly. Since drivers will be able to accelerate more and brake less, it means better gas mileage, too.
• Fewer accidents. Tailgating, weaving, or distracted driving – any of these can lead to an auto accident on a Tennessee highway. Enforcing a passing-lane only law will decrease the amount of tailgating and weaving by more aggressive drivers, and could reduce the number of rear-end accidents by drivers more consumed with going fast than with paying attention to the other cars around them.
• Less stressful driving. We all have that one highway that makes our blood boil just thinking about it. Imagine if the people who drove at 45mph in the left lane of the 55mph road just stopped doing it, because now there was an enforceable law that came with a fine. Think about how much more pleasant your ride to work, or to see your parents, or to go back to school, would be.

The new law is not designed to allow people to speed, or to create a “fast lane,” and you can still get a ticket if you’re doing 75mph in the left lane of a 65mph road. It is supposed to help us all reach our destinations more safely and more efficiently. If you’re still not sold on the importance of the bill, keep this in mind: our legislators on the House Transportation Committee passed it unanimously.

If you have been injured in an auto accident in Tennessee, Banks & Jones is here to help. Please contact us to schedule a free consultation with an experienced Knoxville car crash attorney about your case.