Slow Driving in Indiana: Is It Against the Law?

It's common knowledge that if you drive over the speed limit in Indiana, you can get a ticket, but what about those who tend to drive under the speed limit?

It never fails, you are on your way to work, or some sort of event that you are crunched on time for and you end up getting stuck behind a slow poke on the road. I'm not talking about someone going the actual speed limit while you are trying to travel over the speed limit. I am referring to those drivers who, for whatever reason, are driving below the posted speed limit. It can be annoying at times, especially when you are driving behind them on a two-lane road where you can't pass. In fact, this happened to me the other day. I was driving in a 45-mile-per-hour speed limit zone. In front of me was a driver that was going about 30 miles per hour. I had one of my kids with me and they said "driving this slow should be illegal." That got me wondering if there were any laws in Indiana about driving below the speed limit.

Canva

Is it Illegal to Drive Under the Speed Limit in Indiana?

The answer to this question is "yes." According to Indiana Code Title 9. Motor Vehicles § 9-21-5-7:

Sec. 7. (a) A person may not drive a motor vehicle at a slow speed that impedes or blocks the normal and reasonable movement of traffic, except when reduced speed is necessary for safe operation or in compliance with the law. A person who is driving:
(1) on a roadway that has not more than one (1) lane of traffic in each direction; and
(2) at a slow speed so that three (3) or more other vehicles are blocked and cannot pass on the left around the vehicle;
shall give right-of-way to the other vehicles by pulling off to the right of the right lane at the earliest reasonable opportunity and allowing the blocked vehicles to pass.
(b) A person who fails to give right-of-way as required by subsection (a) commits a Class C infraction.

Get our free mobile app

In case you were wondering what a fine might be for a Class C Infraction, it could cost you up to $500. Now, this doesn't apply if you are driving slower due to poor conditions or emergency vehicles. However, if you are just an everyday slow driver, just remember these three things to avoid a ticket:

Pull over if you’re blocking more than three cars that cannot pass.
Stay in the right lane when driving under the speed limit on a four-lane road.
Move over if someone is behind you in the left lane.

10 Indiana Laws You Don't Know You're Breaking

7 Weapons You Can Legally Own in Indiana That Aren't Guns

Anything can be a weapon if used as such. Large rocks, baseball bats, golf clubs, hammers, etc., etc. However, those objects aren't designed to be used as weapons. These seven, on the other hand, are, and you are completely within your rights to have them in Hoosier State.

Gallery Credit: Ryan O'Bryan

KEEP READING: 40 Real Indiana Towns with Quirky, Weird, and Funny Names

Outside the major cities, the Hoosier state is full of tiny little towns you've probably passed through on your way to one of those cities. Most of them are likely 100 to 150 years old, or older, and have been around far longer than the large metropolitan areas such as Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, South Bend, and Evansville. Typically, they were started by early settlers who found their way to the state and decided to make it home. Eventually, others would join them, and a community was formed. Over time, as the surrounding areas grew, most of them were folded into those areas and governed by the nearest city or county's governing body officially making them "unincorporated," meaning they did not have their own formally organized municipal government.

A scroll through Wikipedia's long list of unincorporated communities in Indiana shows several of them have names that by today's standards would be considered weird, quirky, or just downright right funny. These are my 40 favorities.

Gallery Credit: Ryan O'Bryan