When to not Drive Slow
One might be quick to assume that slow driving is safe driving. At times this is true, but more often than not a light touch on the gas pedal can lead to accidents. As with all things in life, driving slow has its pros and its cons. Before I elaborate, I do want to remind every reader that I am not a driving instructor, nor am I the perfect driver. Always use caution and your brain when driving. Please take this article as my opinion, and do not send me any tickets you may receive by misusing any information in this article. I can not afford to pay it. I would hate for you to go to jail because I didn't pay your fines. It would definitely make me sad. And I know you do not want to make me sad.
Moving on from my lame attempt at humor in the last paragraph, let me tell you the number one time to be concerned about slow driving. Bad Weather. I'm talking rain, snow, sleet, and any other inclement conditions that only mail-delivery folks should be out in. Hold on a second, don't call me dumb yet. Keep reading. Call me dumb later.
Driving like an idiot or a race car driver during less-than-lovely weather is of course, well, stupid. However, when people slow down to the point of barely moving during a storm, they actually increase their risk of causing an accident. Especially when visibility is nearly-nonexistent. At times like these, drivers should stick to a speed at which they are comfortable. Unless this speed is 3mph. Since it can be much harder to stop if the road is wet, a person driving too slow can cause more daring people, say, the ones going 10mph, to come upon them without adequate time to stop. Throw in a little slickness and someone will soon be callingAAA.
Many major roads have a minimum speed limit for just such occasions. Just like the max speed limit, this minimum is there for your safety. If you are not comfortable driving this speed during bad weather, find a place to get off the road until the worst of it passes. Just make sure it is a gas station or parking lot of some sort. Do not simply pull over onto the shoulder. I won't say any more about that, as I am sure there is another article on Helium about the dangers of sitting on the shoulder.
The other main reason that driving slow, at any time, can be extremely dangerous is simply all the other drivers. When people get in a car and turn the key, they can go from Mother Theresa to Emperor Palpatine in 6.2 seconds. (That's the evil dude from Star Wars, in case anyone doesn't know.) One thing that can turn knuckles white faster than anything is getting stuck behind a slow driver. We've all been there. Heck, we've probably all been the slow one at one time or another. The driver letting the turtles and snails pass may not be running into other cars, but the now agitated driver behind them has a pretty good chance of doing so.
One quick jerk of the steering wheel in an attempt to reach the freedom of the open road beyond the inching-along driver can turn a couple cars into abstract art. The minimum speed limit again shows its necessity, for if people were at going at least that fast, the thought is that the whipping-drivers will have to do less whipping to pass. Normal passing can thus ensure, and safety comes back the the nations highways. Oops, sorry, I got a little carried away there at the end. My point still stands though.
If we could all just get along, not driving too fast or too slow, there would be fewer cars for the junkyard dogs to protect. Driving slow often leads to others driving faster or wilder than they would be, even if only for a second. Therefore, driving slow can cause a great deal more danger on the road than one might think.
So, be safe out there, buckle up, and remember, you get better gas mileage driving at a constant speed than you do whipping around all the slow drivers. Thanks for reading!
